No One's Hero
by Hope12
Summary: They needed a hero, so they brought back Harry Potter. But Harry is not what they had expected, he doesn't want to be their hero. Will he fight? Can he be trusted? Or is he the next Dark Lord in disguise. Alternative universe. Darkish Harry.
1. Prologue: Lily’s Lullaby

**No One's Hero**

**Prologue:** **Lily's Lullaby**

………………….

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

This is the sequel to 'the Legend of Harry Potter'. This story will make more sense if you have read that first but it is not absolutely essential.

………………….

Many years in the past…

Voldemorts wand trailed away from Harry's forearm and despite the pain Harry smiled as the dark mark glowed black on his skin.

"Thank you master" he said smiling up at Voldemort.

Suddenly Voldemort's hand was at his chin forcing his head up so that he could look into his eyes. His head felt like it was going to explode but he did not flinch, he was a death eater now… and not just any death eater for that matter, Voldemorts apprentice. Harry forced himself to smile up at the dark lord.

"I wonder how many have been fooled by your facade?" Voldemort asked quietly.

The smile left Harry's face "many" he said.

Voldemorts mouth morphed up into a grin "Now you will become what you were always meant to be… with you by my side even Dumbledore will crumble"

Harry bowed his head "yes master"

"Now turn and face your brothers" Voldemort said and Harry turned to face the gathered death eaters. Voldemort's meeting hall was packed fill, Death eaters in their full black robes and white masks stood facing their master.

Then Voldemort began clapping and soon the clapping filled the whole hall. It grew louder and louder as the death eaters joined in. The sound resonated off the high roof so that it sounded like thunder.

Harry smiled to himself, if only the Dursley's could see him now. He was not a worthless freak, not any more. Now he was wanted, revered, loved. Now those who had hurt him would pay.

In amongst the death eaters Severus Snape watched with intense anger, this was news he would have to share with the Order, but he dreaded their response. Particuly Albus's. The betrayal hurt even him, so how would it affect the old man? Even with the knowledge of what the boy must have been through he couldn't help but feel anger towards him, though not a fraction of what he felt towards Voldemort. Holding up his hands he clapped loud and strong. 'God help us' he thought watching the boy who was looking out at them a triumphant smile on his face.

………………….

Many years in the past…

"You are warm

And you are safe

And you are loved

Cradled deep with in my heart"

James watched from the door way as his wife sang their son a lullaby.

She looked beautiful, her long red hair falling over her face as she looked down, but even so James could make out her startling green eyes, he felt a smile on his lips as she kissed their son and turned to leave.

Harry was not content to let her go but not long after they had left and closed the door he had given up and fallen to sleep just as he usually did.

"Don't worry so much" James told Lily and pulled her into his arms planting several small kisses on her forehead.

"I'm not"

He pulled her back and looked into her eyes raising his eyebrows "I would never let anything happen to you or Harry, we can trust Peter, I would never have agreed otherwise."

She nodded "I know", smiling she leaned in for a kiss.

………….

The Shrieking shack

Harry nearly stumbled as his feet once again hit a solid surface.

Dazed and in shock he steadied him self - he wasn't dead, which was a good start.

But he wasn't alone either, He could sense other presences in the same room, he could here there deep breathing. His wand was instantly in his hand and he glanced around ready for any attacker.

He was in a dark old shack; it smelt musky and rotten. But if he wasn't mistaken he was sure that this was the shrieking shack.

His eyes locked on the two other people whom were present in the darkness, two shadows in dark cloaks, which gave nothing away of age or sex.

"Harry Potter I presume" one of them said, the voice that spoke was old and rough.

Harry had no idea what strange plan Lucius had in mind. But he was sure the slytherin didn't intend for him to walk out of it alive.

"Who are you?" he asked coolly taking a step forward his wand held threateningly.

"We are friends, I am Cullen" he gestured to his companion "and this is Matt, we are from the Order of the pheo…"

"Liar" Harry hissed and lifted his wand a spell selected in his mind.

"We tell the truth," Cullen said raising his hands to show he did not have his wand in his hand.

Although Harry did not curse them (there was still plenty of time for that) he did not trust them and kept his wand trained on them.

"Be careful what you say, I know a lot about the Order and never have I herd of any members by the names of Cullen and Matt"

Cullen sighed heavily, he had been so focused on finding the box he had not thought of what exactly he would have to deal with when he opened it.

"You may know of the Order, but I speak of not the Order of _your _time, but the Order of _this_ time"

Harry frowned at them "your insane" he said.

"You have been trapped in the Box of Lucius Malfoy the first" Cullen supplied gently "for a very long time"

Harry's eyes darted from one shadowed figure to the other. It was a trick, it had to be…

"We have just fought our way through the 'Ministry of magic' to get to it, and open it"

The old man seemed sincere, but there was no way Harry could know for sure.

Slowly he backed himself away from them both, towards the wall, finding its hard surface comforting behind him, but never once letting his guard down.

"Why the shrieking shack?" he asked

"Pardon?" Cullen asked

"This is the Shrieking shack, I'd know it anytime" Harry said cringing to himself a moment later.

"Ah… I chose this – building because it's not well known as well as being close to Hogwarts Castle"

Harry felt a little bit of warmth sink into his stomach at the mention of Hogwarts. His body had felt as though it was getting colder and colder as the possibilities of his predicament had made there way into his sluggish mind.

"How long?" He asked

Cullen did not answer for a moment "we can't be sure – much has changed – "

"_How long?_" He asked again.

"Centuries have passed – I am sorry"

"If your telling the truth" Harry said half to himself. But Considering everything it was looking more likely that they were telling the truth, The shrieking shack had always looked dilapidated, but now, it _felt_ that way as well. It had always felt young and wild, but now it felt old and tired and dead.

It wasn't only the shrieking shack that seemed strange. He was no prisoner and he expected he would be able to take both men on if he needed to. Why would Lucius send him here? It did not make any sense unless they were telling the truth and he had been trapped in that box for … centuries.

He sucked in a breath at the implications. If what the old man had said was true then everyone he had known would be dead.

He had always known that Lucius Malfoy was not a stupid man, but he had not considered when he had rushed of to save the Dursley's what the consequences would be, there was no way he could have known… but he shouldn't have left straight for the Hall of Mirrors, he should have gone back to Hogwarts first and told Dumbledore what had happened….

Steading himself on the wall behind him he gazed over the two men again "why did you bring me back?" he asked.

"We need your help" Cullen said "desperately"

'_Of corse' _Harry thought bitterly.

"No" He said anger suddenly swirling up from with in "I've done my part"

The two wizards made no move to argue, but just stood there silently, seemingly at a loss of what to do.

"You don't have a choice though… none of us do, we fight or we die" Matt spoke for the first time.

"_Lumos_" Cullen said, while stepping closer to Harry, their hero's voice had been filling him with a horrible suspicion; he did not sound like a man.

A gasp filled the silent room as light filled it allowing them to see each other clearly for the first time.

Cullen had been expecting many things; this boy was not one of them.

He stood there for several moments trying to reorganise his thoughts and pull him-self together.

He looked the boy over (for that was what he was) a short skinny boy who's messed up clothing was covered in dirt, it didn't help that his glasses were currently sitting crookedly on his nose.

He was steering back at him angrily a frown on his face, but he was hardly threatening. He didn't know wether to laugh or cry, moments before he had been fearful in this wizards presence, he had been breaking horrible news to the man, who was supposed to be extraordinarily powerful… and now… no this boy was not a threat to any one. They had risked their lives for nothing. Jonathan had been right, the box had been worth more to them than this boy.

Looking at Matt he could see similar thoughts on this face, he felt sorry for him then. Matt had sacrificed more than any one for this boy. He had lost his son, true. But Matt had lost his home, his people, his family… everything.

Matt could hardly believe what he was seeing… after everything they had gone through, after all the lives that had been lost… and this was what the got… it really was all for nothing. All of it.

The image of all the dead bodies they had left behind at Workcamp 34 jumped into his mind. They had given up their lives for the hope that the legend of Harry Potter had given them. The hopes of the world had all been for nothing. For Harry Potter was just a scrawny little boy from the past.

"Your not Harry Potter" Matt found himself saying, "you can't be".

Harry looked at him in surprise "yes. I. am" he said slowly.

"No, your nothing like him, Harry Potter is a Hero. He defeated a powerful dark wizard" he suddenly turned to Cullen "you said he could _save _us!"

"_He lied_" Harry said angrily "_I cant save _anyone!"

"You're supposed to be a Hero!" Matt turned to the boy in front of him again.

"Well I'm not" Harry said firmly.

……………………….

Many years in the past…

"_Take Harry and run" _James yelled throwing himself in front of the door.

Lily ran as fast as she could up the stairs towards her baby, a wave of pain hit her as green light reflected on the walls around her. She knew he was dead. She felt in inside, a great empty void had just opened up.

But she did not stop until she was with Harry; she picked him up and turned towards the door only to find it filled up with the monster that had killed her husband and so many others…

……………………….

Harry is rescued from his prison, which has held him suspended in time for hundreds of year. Now he is in a world that is very different from the one he left behind, being asked again to be the hero that he was never able to be.


	2. Chapter 1: Ministry Massacre

**No Ones Hero **

**Chapter 1: Ministry ****Massacre**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

It would help a lot if before reading this story you have already read 'the legend of Harry Potter'.

**WARNING: this chapter has violence and some disturbing scenes, which are probably not suitable for children. **

* * *

Many years in the past…

Little Harry Potter lay awake in the cupboard under the stairs listening to his Uncle, Aunt and cousin playing junior monopoly on the kitchen table.

"Well done Dudley!" he heard his Uncle exclaim and closed his eyes together tighter.

He had his own world in the cupboard, a place he could disappear too, a land all to himself.

But right now he could not go there, his family's laughter kept reaching his ears, pulling him back to reality and the dull ache he had no words for.

"I win!" he could here Dudley saying.

"Such a smart boy" came his Aunts voice.

Placing his hands over his ears he began singing quietly to himself.

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are"_

"I think he deserves a special treat Petunia"

"_Up above the world so high_

_Like a diamond in the sky"_

"Would you like some ice cream Duddikins?"

"Yes! I want ice cream!"

"_Twinkle, Twinkle little star_

How I wonder what you are"

Wiping the tear from his cheek Harry sat up and swung his feet over the side of his mattress peeking through the crack in the door and into the kitchen. He could see his Aunt disappear out of view and return a minute later with a bowl so full of ice cream Harry could see it over the top of the bowl.

Tentatively Harry stood up and pushed the door open a bit. Watching as Dudely stuck into his treat. At first he stayed there, but soon his longing to have ice cream _as well_ became to strong and he took several silent small steps forward until he reached the door to the kitchen where he could see his uncle, Aunt and Cousin all enjoying ice cream.

At first no one noticed him and he was too nervous to say anything. But then Dudley saw him; he raised his head and looked right at Harry in his too large cloths and messy hair.

"What do _you_ want?" he asked drawing his Mum and Dads attention to Harry as well.

Hesitantly Harry looked up at his Aunt who's lips and turned up as if she was looking at something unpleasant.

"Can I please have some ice cream" his quiet voice asked, shifting from foot to foot he glanced at their faces "please?" he added again.

"You disobedient, ungrateful little brat!" his Aunt hissed standing up "I told you to stay in your cupboard!" she stalked over to him and graved hold of his arm so tightly it hurt and dragged him back to the cupboard before flinging him down onto his mattress

"This is our family day" she paused sucking in a breath, a tear evident in the corner of her eyes "the one day a week we have time to spend together as a family" she wiped the tear from her cheek, her voice breaking up slightly, "selfish, selfish little boy! Your lucky Vernon doesn't give you a smack" she said turning away from him and his cupboard she stood still as if regaining her composure, turning back she closed the cupboard door firmly "don't leave the cupboard again or Vernon will deal with you".

Harry stayed where he was listening to her retreating footsteps and renewed laughter in the kitchen, sitting up he rested his back against the wall and covered his ears again trying to block out the life that he wanted with every shred of his being.

* * *

The shrieking shack…

Harry was steering at the two men in contempt "what now?" he asked.

"Now" Cullen replied wearily "we return to Hogwarts Castle"

Harry nodded, he was tiered and looking forward to being back in the castle, for a rest and a chance to clear his head which was overwhelmed and felt fogy.

Matt turned to Cullen "I hardly think we are going to receive a warm welcome…"

"We will be fine, they can not stop us, not when we bring Harry Potter with us… if any one found out they stopped us there would be mutiny, Jonathan knows this"

Matt surveyed Harry again "I don't think any one is going to believe _this_ is Harry Potter"

"Because I'm young?"

"Your…" Matt began, but Cullen hurriedly talked over top of him "We had been lead to believe, that you would be a powerful warrior"

"So you were expecting some one eight feet tall with masses of body hair and the ability to shoot lightning from his fingertips"

"We were expecting some one…" Cullen began before Harry cut in "older? Stronger? Taller? Wiser?"

Cullen sighed "something like that"

"Anything like that" Matt added.

"Looks like you wasted your time then" Harry said impatiently "are we going back to Hogwarts now or not?"

Cullen pulled of his clock and handed it to Harry "yes, but you will need to wear this"

* * *

Many years in the past…

With Dumbledore and Potter out of the way things quickly got much better for Lucius Malfoy. The rest of the Death Eaters came out of hiding, ready to do his biding in the name of the Dark Lord. Supporters began sprouting up around the country, which was ill prepared for another war so soon after the previous one.

The death of Dumbledore and defeat of Harry Potter spurred on the fear and helplessness that Lucius was trying to create in the population. Skirmishes once again erupted around the country as Lucius sort to create a kingdom for his master's return.

Soon the only strong holds that remained were the Ministry Of Magic and Hogwarts. The Ministry Of Magic held a small army of Aurous as well as ministry workers and often there family's who were all targets for possible attack. Hogwarts become a strong hold for the Order of the Phoenix, which continued to fight in the absence of its founder and leader. Though it was no longer running as a school its population was greater than ever with the arrival of many families seeking refuge from the magical world, which was being reformed outside its walls.

The Ministry and Order eventually began working closely together and it seemed for a while that they would be able to fight back their enemies. There was a small celebration in the Ministry when the offer of a treaty was put forward, it seemed that there enemy had recognised that they could not defeat them. The treaty discussions and signing were to be held between all three groups in the Ministry Of Magic, but the Order refused to agree to a treaty that would compromise the freedom of Muggle-borns and boycotted the signing. It was this decision that saved the lives of countless Order members, for no treaty was to be signed that day…

…………………

Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic stood in his official robes amongst an entourage of Ministry official's on a raised platform in their largest hall. Large gold and scarlet decorations were draped on the walls on both sides. Above the platform a huge globe of fire was floating, at the signing of the treaty it would burst into a thousand little balls of glowing light that would dance across the ceiling.

Before the platform stood a crowd of Ministry members, there families and other members of wizarding Briton who had managed to arrive safely at the ministry to be a part of history. Along the sides in even spaces were Aurors standing straight with their arms by their sides. It was the best thing that had happened in wizarding Briton in a several years and the hall was full.

Lucius was due to arrive with his people any minute now. The Crowd was quiet waiting for his imminent arrival. That was when things began going wrong. At first no one noticed it, a small shacking in the ground, several Aurous turned their heads suspiciously as the hangings next to them rattled, then the screaming started from beyond the halls doors. Terrified yelling and the roaring of some huge animal.

All heads turned to the noise and the Aurors pulled their wands moving in front of the doors. The doors burst open and 6 of the 20 Aurors who had been standing to attention along the corridor leading to the hall came running in.

Their screams were incoherent, there faces white, they rushed through the staring crowd to a side door at the other end.

"IT'S COMING!" "HURRY!" "TRAPPED!" "NUNDU!" One of them said running at random people to yell in their faces.

It took only a moment longer for the crowd to fall into panic them selves and rush after the fleeing Aurors.

Being closest to the side door the Minister and his officials were some of the first there. Only moments latter the small door way became crammed.

The sound of heavy breathing caused a silent terror to rip thought the people still trying to fit though the door.

Soft footsteps, a horrible smell, like that of rotting flesh.

A dark shadow at the doors.

With renewed horror the crowd pushed forward desperate to get away. Some of the Auros who had been in the hall tried to calm the crowd but it was to late.

Desperate hands of terror filled wizards and witches fought with the mass of bodies to get through and save themselves. There feet stepping on the bodies of others beneath them. The screams and cries of the people crushed below falling on deaf ears.

A giant black cat stalked gracefully into the room, its horrible eyes focused on the mass of trapped people.

The tears of dieing and scared people mingled with the blood and pee on the floor, they could not get away, the pile of bodies and desperate fighting amongst themselves to fit through the door at the same time had made the door nearly impassable. With no wear to run there cries turned to begging for help. For someone to save them and many silent prayers.

The cat lunged forward its breath reaching out towards the crowd. Disease thick and toxic ate away the flesh of any one it touched, leaving black hollow bodies in its wake.

Seconds latter the Hall was silent and the cat turned away unable to fit though the single door but determined to hunt down any survivors.

The silver shapes of confused ghosts began materialising in the room a few minutes latter. To find the horror that bad befallen them, something that they would always see in their minds, a ringing that would never leave there ears.

Meanwhile those that had escaped the room rushed towards the fireplaces in the atrium. They graved handfuls of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplaces before shouting different destinations to flee to, but nothing happened. Again and again they tried.

"The floo network has been blocked" the Minister stammered, "We're trapped!"

"Not yet!" one of his ministers said and rushed of towards the visitor's entrance.

But the red box would not take them away from their horror ether.

Suddenly a great roar caught their attention, they turned to see a great black dragon.

Together they worked, firing at the rearing beast, using shields to protect them selves against its fire.

The Dragon was backing away, it was no match against so many wizards, but then the Dementors came.

Swooping in form everywhere.

Again they worked together keeping the Dementors at bay while the dragon backed away disliking the effects of the Dementors.

"We can do this!" one of the Aurors shouted, "We have to stick together and find another way out"

"How is this happening?" a woman asked

"How should I know!" the Minister bit out.

"Shut up!" some one else yelled, "lets just get out of here"

They moved back through the atrium and were about to step through the golden gates when the minister suddenly stopped.

"I can close these gates!" he exclaimed, "It will keep them out"

"But then how will we get out?"

"The fire places are still our best chance"

"That smell!"

"Close the gates!"

The gates swung shut.

"Run!"

"Stay back it cant get us here"

Curled up at the opposite end they clung close to each other as the Nundu slinked up to the gates, its disgusting eyes focused on the survivors.

"We're safe!" "We're going to make it out of here people" one of the Aurors tried to assure the others.

The giant cat turned its head to the side as if considering the bars before stepping forward its body melting right through the bars as if they did not exist.

Horrified cries filled the atrium.

Spells were shoot out in desperation but left their target unaffected.

And within a few minutes the gigantic cat turned and left leaving silver shadows of the people in its wake.

Hundreds died in the ministry that day. But the Massacre would not go down in history. It would be forgotten just like the people who died there.

* * *

Harry followed the other two slowly up the road to the castle, he hadn't realised how tiered he was, his limbs felt heavy and weak. The others kept on looking at him with impatience, which left him both annoyed and frustrated. He never asked to be in this situation.

They kept talking quietly amongst them selves so that he could not here them, which further fuelled his annoyance into anger.

It was with a growing headache that they finally had a view of the giant gates at the end of the road.

"You should be able to see the gates of Hogwarts any moment now" Cullen called back to him from where he was walking with Matt.

"I have glasses but I'm not blind" Harry snapped at them.

"You don't see a mist?" Cullen asked.

Harry looked around incredulously at the clear night, true he could see no stars but there was certainly no mist that he could see. "What. Mist?"

"The land surrounding Hogwarts is covered in a mist that only those who are familiar with Hogwarts can see through" Cullen said.

"I have spent a good part of my life in Hogwarts" Harry said

"So you did go to school there?" Matt asked.

"Of course" Harry said.

"It is hard to imagine Hogwarts Castle as a school" Cullen said "I.."

"_You mean its not_?" Harry said in surprise as they stopped out side the gates.

"No… It hasn't been for many years… I expect you have a lot of questions, but they will have to wait until we are inside, feed, watered and rested"

Harry stared back at him darkly but did not argue. He did not quite understand why, as Hogwarts was still there but he still felt a sense of loss at that news.

They arrived in front of the gates and paused, Harry turned expectantly to the other two, curious as to why they were stopping.

Cullen how ever was focused on the right boar that stood guard over the gates "we seek to enter the grounds of Hogwarts please alert the guards on duty of our arrival"

For a moment nothing happened then the boar suddenly moved its head and looked at them before spinning around and disappearing leaving its post looking empty for a few moments until it returned becoming as still as when they had first approached.

"Some one should be here soon to let us in," Cullen explained for Harry's sake.

"Why?" Harry said walking up the gates and taking hold of one of the handles.

"You have to be let in from the inside…" Matt said but stoped as Harry pulled the gate open. "How?" he asked turning to Cullen.

"I don't know," he said looking curiously at Harry and the open gate.

"Hogwarts is always open to its students" Harry said and began trudging up towards the castle with the other two trailing cautiously behind.

* * *

Empire Capital (Altus Arcis)…

Emperor Malfoy paced back and forth; his son knelt before him not five feet away.

Suddenly he stoped and looked at his son furry evident in his eyes.

"You are to be announced as my heir," he said suddenly.

Cecil had not been expecting that so soon, slowly he raised his head to look at his father.

"Don't look so surprised" the emperor hissed, "There is no one else of my blood to take my place"

"It was well known you were considering…" Cecil trailed of; to frightened to say his cousin's name, he had suffered gravely for her 'death', as had all those who had survived the battle at the work camp. He had known he would, Arden had warned him of it. But that had still not prepared him for the ferocity of his father's anger and obvious grief.

The emperor took several steps towards his son "she was a far greater leader than you or that thing you called a brother"

"Are you pleased he is dead" Cecil asked in curiosity, knowing full well it was a dangerous question to ask.

But his father did not react badly "of corse" he said "I was going to have to dispose of him eventually and this saved me the trouble… I have never understood your devotion to him"

"Father… I must ask…did you ever love him?"

Slowly the emperor turned away from his son "never".

There was a pause before Cecil spoke again "and you have not considered Maximus like you did Calyistah?"

The emperor's sneer was hidden from his son "He is to much like his father"

* * *

Hogwarts…

A group of five wizards and witches in there blue robes appeared with there wands raised.

Cullen, Harry and Matt had gotten not 20 feet from the gates and there way was blocked. But Cullen had known he would have to face them, he had been expecting it earlier at the gate.

"Cullen?" one of them asked

"It is I" he replied eyeing the Order members, but not raising his own wand.

"How did you get in?" one of the others asked.

"Through the gates" Cullen replied.

"You know what we mean Dumbledore"

Harry gaped from underneath his hood "you're a Dumbledore?"

Cullen turned and looked at Harry "Yes?"

Harry felt his legs carry himself forward not caring about the five wands that were now pointed solely at him, and pulled out his wand, for a moment it looked as though Cullen would pull out his own, but he faulted and relaxed when he saw that Harry simply lit his wand. Harry was only centimetres from the mans face when he lifted his wand so that it sat by Cullen's temple. Still under the hood his eyes searched Cullen's face and eyes, they were blue, but it wasn't that alone that convinced Harry.

"Who's this?" one of the Order wizards asked, and with that Harry _knew. _It was only brief but Harry would know that twinkle anywhere. Dumbledore had always said he got his eyes from his father, it was a family trait. Just how the trait had survived for so long Harry did not know, but there it was, Dumbledore's blue eyes, on a strangers face.

"This is Matt" Dumbledore said pointing to Matt.

"I know that, we knew you had the Muggle with you. I was talking…"

"Muggle?" Harry turned to now look at Matt "you're a Muggle?"

Matt frowned at Harry but did not answer.

"_Who is this?_" The man who had been questioning them asked his eyes fixed on the hooded figure.

"Ah yes. I thought you might be curious about him," Cullen said smiling at them "Aaron Patil, meet Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Aaron Patil"

No one moved for several moments. The only noise was the distant sound of a beast screaming in the darkness.

"Are you mad Cullen?" One of the others said

"Mad? No – shocked however? Yes, believe me when I say I am just as shocked as you"

"Enough of this!" one of the others (a man by the name of Richard Gadgeion) said "tell us man! Who are you?"

"Like Cullen said. Its Harry Potter" Matt said

"If I wanted you to talk I would have addressed you Muggle" Richard said angrily.

"Richard please!" Aaron said frowning at the other man.

"He can talk if he wants," Harry said quietly, his head was spinning with all of the new information, but if there was one thing he could not stand it was the pureblood wizard superiority syndrome that insisted on plaguing the wizarding world.

"And what would you know about it?" the man asked Harry "or are you nothing but a _Muggle_ as well"

"I'm no Muggle" Harry said dangerously lifting his wand "but I despise people like you"

The five wands were once again on him but Harry didn't care in the least.

Taking a step for ward he pushed the hood from his head with his free hand, his green eyes blazing with anger "I am who they say I am".

Several of the men laughed and Harry saw Cullen shake his head.

"And I have proof"

The laughter stoped as they waited expectedly.

Harry lifted his hand to his face and moved his fringe revelling his scar, lighting his wand in his other hand.

"A scar?" Aaron asked.

"I have a scar too," Richard said "Its on me bum, any one want to see?" he asked turning around mockingly.

The order wizards started to laugh again while Matt, Cullen and Aaron were looking at Harry like he had just claimed to be God.

"Enough!" Harry said loudly, the blood pumping hard in his veins his hand clutching his wand so tightly, trying to keep control "believe me or not you will let us past and into the castle now"

The laughter had stoped.

All eyes were looking at him now; a great power was radiating form the scrawny boy like nothing they had ever felt before, it had caused them all to take a step back.

"We don't take…" Richard had begin but Aaron held up his hand "shut it Richard"

"You best be pulling your hood back up if we are going to convince the Order that you're Harry Potter," he said and turned to his men "lets go! Harry Potter has just arrived at Hogwarts!"

It was several long moments later before any one moved while Harry happily pulled up his hood to hide himself from the intense gazes that were now firmly attached to him.

He caught a big grin on Matts face "_What_" he growled.

* * *

Hogwarts dungeons…

Spiro, Andor, Verity and Markus sat locked in one of the many rooms in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Hogwarts did not play host to prisoners very often, usually prisoners were held at Order out posts because of the risk of a prisoner escaping and then leading Death Eaters back with them to the castle.

Spiro, Andor and Markus sat together discussing the events, which had lead up to this point, their hopes for Cullen and Matt retrieving the box, what Harry potter would be like and the revelation about Spiro. Andor and Markus had both decided to give Spiro another chance, despite his past and the things he had done as a part of it he had saved there lives several times, risking his own life in the process.

Verity sat a part from the others though. Her back to them, her head resting on her knees. Every now and again Spiro would look back over to her, sorrow in his eyes.

He had tried to apologise, but it had been to no avail, she would not even look at him. For now he had decided to leave her to herself. He would try to get her on her own to talk properly when they got out of this prison. That was assuming that they would.

Just at that moment a roar was head echoing around the castle so loudly that it even reached them in the dungeons. With in a moment they were all on there feet, craning over each other to listen at the door.

In amongst the roar they soon herd the stomp, stomp, stomp of footsteps on the stone floors. Backing away from the door they prepared themselves in the case of an attack. The foot steps got nearer so that they could now here them distinctly from the roar of the people further up.

Suddenly the door was swung open, and several order members in there blue on duty robes came rushing in, with big smiles on there faces "Harry Potter is here!" "Come quickly!" "Your free!"

Forgetting all previous thoughts the four heroes rushed out of the dungeons and up towards the cheering crowds.

* * *

Harry was kneeling on the tiles in the kitchen, a rag in his hands scrubbing at the floor. When Dudley ran past, Harry did not even glance up at his cousin, he didn't have the energy.

The night before he had asked a question that his Aunt and always ignored with some punishment. But that night she had answered him. He wished she had not.

He had often dreamed that his mum and dad were out there and would come and get him one day. That he would go home with them and then he would be part of a real family that loved him. And hugged him. And let him sit at the table and eat with them. And play games with him. He wouldn't mind if he still had to sleep in a cupboard. He just wanted to be with them.

His aunt had been acting differently all that day. Dudley was of at kindergarten and she would suddenly disappear into her room for long hours leaving Harry by himself. He had felt glad to be left alone and spent most of the time wondering around the house happily playing with his made up friends.

She had even given him a nicer than usual lunch and a glass of milk instead of water. So that night after he had finished helping dry the dishes and his uncle and cousin were both in the lounge watching TV Harry once again asked the forbidden question.

"Aunt Petunia?"

"What?" she asked with much more gentleness than usual.

"Where is my mum and dad?"

She stared at him intently for several moments, and Harry thought for awhile she was just going to ignore the question like usual, but suddenly she leaned forward and grabbed hold of his arms, lifting him partly of the ground and shaking him "_do you know what day it is!_" Harry whimpered but didn't answer, frightened by her behaviour "_well!_"

He shook his head violently "well I'll tell you should I!" then she leaned in very close "it's the day your mum and dad died! You here me! Your mum and dad are _dead_" and with that she let go of him, letting him stumble on his feet and stormed out of the room. He had never cried so much.

The rest of that night the three Dursley's had continued on as if nothing had happened. Ignoring their nephew as he lay on the kitchen tiles crying. His head was saw, and his throat strangely raw although he could not remember screaming by the time he had picked him self up of the ground and walked back to his cupboard. The rest of his family had long since gone to bed.

And now today he was being punished for his "hurtful" question, a day filled with nothing but chores and Dudley's taunts and wacks. Harry Potter felt horrible.

* * *

Authors note:

**I am in need of a beta.**

Alice4Ever: thank you.

moeoep: Thank you very much! "i just read "the legend of HP"" you must be impressive at reading! I find the legend difficult to read and I wrote it.

Jewl4Life: I laughed when I read your review! You read your way through the entire of the legend only to get to the end and there is all of a paragraph or two with Harry actually in it. I thought particuly of you when I decided I had better get some of the sequel up with Harry actually in it (not including flash backs). Especially as you had stuck around for so long waiting for it to happen.

Firgof Raina: if I was Harry I wouldn't either, but like you say, what is happening there is horrible. And Harry has the power to do something about it. The hero's curse I suppose, he just never gets a break.

Abhi: thank you.


	3. Chapter 2: Black Books And Emperors

**No Ones Hero**

**Chapter 2: ****Black Books And Emperors**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry trailed along the sidewalk to school, he had to leave half an hour earlier than Dudley since Dudley took the car and he wasn't allowed to.

His small legs ached with each step as he drew closer and he briefly considered sitting down for a rest. But resisted the idea; he did not want to be late. Just the week before Harry had taken a small rest, and had lost track of time when he had played with the stones on the side of the road. The school had rung the Dursley's and his uncle had given a smack to help him learn. Harry was terrified of his uncles smacks, sometimes his uncle would hurt him a lot more than usual and Harry never knew when those times would be.

Harry's stomach growled at him, he hadn't had any breakfast that morning since he hadn't finished his morning chores quick enough. He hated it when he missed it; by lunchtime it hurt so much he could not concentrate. If he was being punished and had to go with out food for several days he could barely sleep at night and when he did his night times were always filled with horrible nightmares. As he neared the school gates Harry pushed him self up against a neighbouring fence and peered around. Dudley and his friends were there as usual. Waiting for him.

Harry waited until they looked distracted by something and then ran in the direction of his classroom, his feet pounding on the concert he thought he was going to make it, but then the laughter started. He was graved and pushed over, his cold hands landing on the concert painfully, the little stones digging into his hands and knees. They were all around him now, laughing and calling him names. Harry knew better by now than to try and get away, so he just sat there while they made fun of him. Sometimes one of them would kick or hit him, but eventually they would see something more interesting and run of to play with it instead.

On this morning however Harry did not get away so easily. One of the boys spat on him. Just a little bit. But it soon escalated, the boys taking turns to see who could spit the most saliva on Harry, who shielded his face with his hands but sat still through most of it just waiting for it to be over. But then one of them wiped something on his arm. There was a particuly loud cackle of laughter and Harry chanced a glimpse to see a large piece of snot on his arm. Disgusted Harry rubbed it of onto the concert. But the other boys now wanted a turn, Dudley in particular.

Harry struggled, tried to push them away, tried to get away, but it only increased their laughter. Soon his arms were being held as Dudley and several others picked their noses and rubbed it on Harry's face. Harry felt warm tears began to slid down his cheeks and hated himself for appearing so week. His uncle and aunt hated it when he cried so on most days Harry could keep himself in cheek. Today however was not one of those days.

"He's actually crying!"

"Your such a baby"

Dudley and his fellow bullies thought it hysterical; they were really enjoying themselves that day. Seeing Harry upset was something they really enjoyed. But Harry couldn't stop, his tears just kept coming out. He knew it could not last much longer, and became still again waiting even as they laughed and grabbed and wiped snot on him sometimes spitting again. The bell rang then. Harry felt himself fill with relief, Dudley swept forward and punched him hard in his stomach but then he and his friends ran of to class. Harry rose himself, rubbing the snot of his face with his raged shirt before taking of to class. He did _not_ want to be late.

* * *

Hogwarts…

It did not take long after the announcement had been made. Hoards of people coming from the different corners of Hogwarts, all drawn out by the same news. Harry Potter was here.

This was something they had to see for them-selves to believe. The hope stirring in there body's causing them to stop what ever it was that they had previously been doing to go to the entrance hall, the closer they got the louder the noise from the growing crowd, the quicker and grater there strides. From person to person the message was passed on, until the halls and rooms of the castle were filled with that name. It was shouted and whispered and laughed at. But no mater a persons reaction they could not prevent there feet from leading them to the sauce.

The entrance hall was very soon crowded, but Harry refused to step away, to back away. He heard his name called everywhere, it echoed down the stairs and halls and of the walls to him. Even after all the fame he was used to receiving, the desperation as the people swamped forward as if he were a god unbalanced him, he had never experienced something of this extent before.

Soon he, Cullen and Matt were encircled in people that were backed up down the halls and up the stairs, people on the tips of there toes, people pushing others aside, all desperate to get a glimpse of him. The people closest were edging closer and closer as if afraid but not afraid enough to stop themselves.

The first person suddenly reached out, Harry pulled out his wand, there hand grasped his arm tightly, their hand was shaking, their eyes wide. Harry's wand was very quickly at the persons chin. He did not bother to try and speak; it was far to loud in the hall to be herd. But the old man did not let go. He grasped still tighter.

Soon others were reaching out, taking a hold of him, the crowd was rushing in forcefully, pinning him in the middle, it had all happened so quickly. He had been pulled forward into the crowds embrace before he could react. But it took less than a moment more for him to act, his wand pointed into the air, there was another second when nothing happened and then a force knocked all those around off there feet, it was so forceful that the huge doors of the entrance hall were thrown open and a number of people found them selves pushed out the doors and onto the steps below.

Silence ensured for several moments as the crowd slowly rose again to there feet taking several steps back from Harry who stood with his wand raised and at the ready.

Suddenly a noise from the crowd trailing down the steps to the dungeons began to travel up to them, people were shouting to one another "let them through!" "Let them past" "its them" and then through the parting crowd emerged four wizards looking tiered but otherwise well. Harry looked at them, and the way the crowd was parting for them and realised they must be important.

The first one to emerge was a solemn looking man with brown hair and a beard; he was of a muscular build and was looking at Harry with an intense stare as he moved forward towards him. Closely followed by him was a women who looked much younger than the first man, she looked to be only a few years older than Harry himself. She was lovely, with long black hair, the way she moved spoke of elegance. The second to last was a younger man who was very tall and had short brown hair and a boyish face. Then last was an even taller man, he was very dark and bald, and Harry thought he looked a very mysterious man.

He felt Cullen and Matt beside him and noticed a broad smile on Matt's face. Suddenly the stranger's faces (with exceptions to the last one) were lit up with smiles also.

"Harry Potter, these are the others responsible for your release from the box" Cullen said, "This is Andor…" and the first man lifted out his hand and placed it gently on Harry's shoulder, the smile reaching his eyes, creating little crinkles that made him seem very warm. "Welcome Harry Potter" he said then moved aside for the women.

"And this is Verity" her smile seemed sad as she touched his shoulder lightly (he was beginning to realise that the grasping of shoulders was some sort of welcome) "welcome" she said and moved aside for the next man.

"Markus, his father is the leader of the Order…" The young man grasped Harry's shoulder tightly and was looking at him as if he could hardly believe his eyes "you have no idea how pleased I am to finally meet you… I loved hearing the stories about you as a child" Harry nodded unsure of what to say but pleased that his hood was still pulled up to hide his face; he was feeling younger and younger with every passing moment.

"And last but not least this is Spiro…" the last man unlike the others did not reach out to take Harry's shoulder straight of but just stood still in front of him, looking at him with his dark eyes. Finally he raised his hand and grasped Harry's shoulder tightly, he did not know why, but he felt wearier of this man than any of the others. He reminded him a little of Snape.

"I do hope that the lives of our comrades have not been lost in vein" he said grasping still tighter to Harry's shoulder and pulling him forward to get a better look under Harry's hood, but Harry quickly brought up his wand "let go" he said calmly (a lot more calmly than he felt). Spiro lifted his eyebrows, but let him go all the same. "Welcome to the Order Harry Potter" he said and then stepped to the side also.

He glanced back at Cullen and noticed Verity give Matt a hug. The group greeted Matt, clasping his shoulder in a friendly manner. And Harry was surprised to see a smile on Spiro's face as he grasped Matt's shoulder "well done my friend" he herd him say. Maybe not so Snape like then he thought, he could not imagine Snape making friends with a Muggle.

"Well!" said Cullen suddenly turning to the watching crowd "what are you all standing around for? Harry Potter has just arrived at Hogwarts! Its time for a celebration"

It took only a few moments more for the crowd to begin talking avidly amongst themselves and not long after that different groups of people rushed of to organise different things. With a growl of his stomach Harry hoped it would involve food at some point. Feeling very tiered and with his headache still not letting up he turned to Cullen and his companions "is there some where I can have a rest?" he asked.

"Yes… certainly" Cullen said then turned to the others "and I expect you all have many questions… so let us retire to my rooms shall we?"

There was a mummer of agreement before the group turned and began to head up the steps onto the first floor.

They rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and began down the familiar corridor.

Harry looked around himself and found that the hall had not changed much, the same paintings were hang on the walls, the same suits of armour lined it at intervals. Even so it was obvious that time had taken its toll on Hogwarts and Harry wished there was something he could do to bring back the energy the castle always seemed to have.

The figures in the portraits followed them with their eyes, but other than that they were unnervingly still. It just did not feel right.

They were about to round another corner when Jonathan Weasley (the leader of the Order) and a large group of uniformed order members appeared in front of them.

With out needing to be told the on duty Order guards quickly surrounded the group.

Jonathan stood stiffly, his eyes running over the group his eyes pausing on the clocked figure and his son. Sighing he rubbed his hand through his hair in what Markus recognised as I sign of stress.

"Do you know what you have done? How many people you have sentenced to death?"

"And the people we have saved?" Markus asked his father.

"Don't be a fool" Jonathan said critically "you have achieved nothing but blood shed by your acts of rebellion"

"I don't know what your talking about" Markus said.

"Of coarse you don't! You never think things through." Jonathan said an angry glint in his eye.

"We are all listening" Andor said "so why don't you enlighten us" his voice stony.

Jonathan frowned at him "not now" he said and began walking backward and forward "first I must decide what I am going to do with you"

"You're not going to do anything Jonathan" Cullen said.

"Oh?" Jonathan asked.

"As I'm sure you already know there was quite a commotion at Harry Potter's arrival here at the castle – the news is well out and beyond denial. The ramifications of locking up their hero would be severe"

Jonathan snorted, "I think that you forget that…"

"A leaders power is reliant on the loyalty of his or hers followers" Cullen cut in, and Jonathans eyes narrowed and he stopped passing immediately turning his eyes back on the group of traitors.

"And I can tell you now that if you force them to chose between their leader and their hero you would tear the Order down the middle… it's not worth it"

"Hmmmm" Jonathan said staring intently at Harry "so this is our Hero?"

"No" Harry scowled.

"Yes this is him," Cullen said over Harry.

Jonathan rose his eyebrows at Harry "he sounds young and somewhat reluctant – are you sure he could command the orders loyalty"

"Of coarse"

The order leader stepped closer so that he was standing a mere foot from Harry.

Peering under the hood he looked to Cullen "this is just a child" he said.

"I am aware" Cullen replied as the group surrounding Harry stirred.

"Well." Jonathan said looking again at Harry "what do you have to say for yourself boy"

"You're all deranged," he said.

"He has power Jonathan" Cullen said "we have seen testament to that… child or not he is still Harry Potter and at least some of what has been said about him is true"

Suddenly Jonathan turned away from them and began walking back down the hallway "very well Cullen, we shell see where this leads… but mark my words" he said turning again and gesturing for the uniformed group of Order members to follow him. "When things go wrong, when this boy can not save us - I will be waiting"

* * *

London…

Arden was watching his brother closely.

"You are following orders from a diary?" he asked

Cecil suddenly looked uncomfortable "I do not follow orders, I have simply been taking suggestions"

"And this man that it suggested you keep – what of him?"

Cecil narrowed his eyes at the other man "He appears to be some sort of idiot, he barely speaks at all and is only ever vaguely aware of what is happening around him… it's as if he is in some sort of trance"

"What reasons did the diary give for keeping him?"

"Tom said he would have his uses"

Arden leaned back in his chair "you have changed brother" he said.

"I have had to, you do not know what - "

"You will visit me again tomorrow and bring me the diary" Arden said, his eyes glanced over his brother "not that there is any need, as you have it with you now – tell me… why the lies?"

Cecil's eyes widened in surprise, his hands quickly falling to cheek that the diary still lay hidden in the folds of his robes before swiftly standing up "I could ask you the same thing!"

Arden raised his eyes at the sudden change in mood to where Cecil stood glowering at him "you want it for you self don't you _Brother_"

Arden turned his head to the side as if looking at something fascinating "I think this diary has addled your mind"

Cecil angrily pulled out his wand and pointed it at Arden "_you will not speak to me like that!_ I am to be announced, I am going to be _emperor. _Together Tom and I are going to rule the world. We will be unstoppable" he sneered at his brother, who like usual, was showing no emotion, no uncertainty. He had always found the way that Arden kept his face void of all feeling impressive, now however he was finding it unnerving, like all the fools before him who had tried to destroy the man and it angered him, his brother should not have the power to unnerve _him_.

"I am to be emperor and what will you be but a disgusting sqwib. _Just another Muggle_" he hissed.

Arden looked with interest at his brother's diluted eyes, his chest was heaving and there was sweat on his forehead. In his usual graceful way he slid from his chair and slowly made his way towards him.

"No closer Arden" Cecil said griping his wand threateningly.

But Arden did not stop "I am not your enemy," he simply said as he stepped right in front of the frightened man who he had never seen quite like this before. Cecil was always so in control of himself, but not now. Lifting his hand he griped the shorter mans wand and began pushing it away from him.

Cecil had gone pale and was shaking slightly. His rage slowly disappearing he lowered his head wondering at his own behaviour "I am sorry" he quietly chocked out, never had he pointed his wand at Arden, and he had always believed that he never would.

"I know" Arden said his hand resting on Cecil's shoulder. Cecil looked up in surprise it was the greatest sign of affection Arden had ever shown to him, or any one for that matter.

"Listen to me carefully Cecil for this is very important." Arden said letting go of the other mans shoulder and returning to his chair as Cecil did the same. "You have two choices" his brother was listening carefully although he could see even now an inner battle being fought "give me the diary or die"

Cecil shifted back slightly in shock his eyes looking at Arden as if he had never seen him before "you would kill me?" he asked.

Arden remained silent for a while his eyes flickering from Cecil's form to the only picture in the room, a beautiful women with long black hair and large blue eyes "no"

Cecil frowned "for once would you…"

"I would never kill you. But Tom Riddle will" Arden said his eyes moving back to his brother.

Cecil found his hands clutching the diary in his hands. Tom Riddle had offered him everything he had ever wanted, and more so the chance to do it by himself with out Arden's help. He had also become a friend of sorts and Cecil found himself being powerfully drawn to him. Like a part of him was slowly becoming a part of Tom. And he liked it; he wanted to be a part of Tom. It was almost as if he _loved_ Tom. Even more so than his own brother at times. With his hands resting on the book he felt it pulsing as if Toms very heart lay in his hands. He did not think that Tom would ever hurt him. But Arden had never lied to him and he had yet to be wrong.

Letting his eyes run over the black book he spoke "I will think about it." He said

"The time for thinking is over" his brother's voice had turned slightly aggressive, he knew that tone. He was being warned.

Pulling his eyes from the book he found his brothers blue eyes settled on him so intensely that for the first time in his life he could not bear to meet them and he looked away "Just until tomorrow" he said.

"Then you decision has already been made" Arden said with out emotion "you are dead" then he stood up then and left the room, never once turning back.

Cecil watched after his brother for a few moments. For some one who accused him of behaving not like himself Arden was certainly behaving strangely. Admittedly he had truly not been feeling himself lately and his emotions had become a lot more … exaggerated. But Arden was obviously becoming paranoid and his thoughts less and less rational.

Looking down at the diary he felt a sudden strong affection for it. Hugging it close to his chest and breathing in its scent he felt him self relax again. Everything would be fine, he was sure of it.

They needed to keep their wits about them if everything was going to turn out as Arden had planned now more than ever patience and cunning was critical. He would be emperor and Arden would come to his senses again he would see to it. Then Cecil would make sure they both got what they deserved.

Standing up he pulled a piece of parchment from a near by desk and wrote out a quick note to his brother.

Turning around he left, his robes bellowing out behind him.

He would be back tomorrow with his decision. A decision he had already made and no doubt Arden would not agree to. But now he was in charge, not Arden and he was going to do what was best for them both.

Arden remerged just minutes after his brother had left. He immediately spotted the note, which he read before tossing to the ground in anger.

Storming to his piano he flung up the lid and found his fingers filling in all the spaces that it should. It sounded just like her. Like she was there with him. Like she had never left. He played and played and played and in his mind he could see her next to him, his small fingers only just reaching from note to note "your doing so well Arden" she said smiling at him "my little prodigy… what an emperor you will one day be" she smelled so nice, like lavender. He reached out for her, and found himself in her arms. They were so warm as she held him tight. But then he opened his eyes and found himself alone. Leaning forward his hands slipped off the keys.

"I have failed you," he whispered.

* * *

Hogwarts…

"He is still fast asleep," Verity said coming back into the living room where Spiro, Markus and Cullen were sitting "I think we should give him at least another hour of sleep, they will have to wait a little longer for him to make an appearance"

"Another hour then" Cullen said after a moment "but then an appearance must be made"

Andor entered the room closing the door behind him "how are the celebrations?" Cullen asked.

"Better than I thought, despite Harry not being there yet" he said taking a seat "they've even got some instruments out and some people are dancing… I've never seen anyone so lively… it's amazing" he said a weary smile on his face.

"What do you make of the boy?"

"He's younger than we thought," Verity said, "I just cheeked on him" she said for Andor's sake "he looks like a kid… its so sad"

"Um why exactly?" Markus asked

Verity looked at him sternly "he's just lost everything, every one he ever knew will be dead. Considering everything I'm actually surprised at how well he is doing"

Markus frowned a bit at her.

"What?" she asked

"Nothing" he said quickly losing his frown "its just for a moment there… you just reminded me a little of Alde"

Markus instantly regretted saying anything, the room suddenly turned cold and awkward.

Finally Verity spoke again "thank you" she said, "it is an honour to be compared to some one so kind and brave"

The silence turned uncomfortable for a few moments, when Andor spoke "she had a lot more guts than most people knew, they saw her kindness and how she cared for people and misinterpreted that as weakness… but she was the bravest friend I have ever had the privilege of knowing… she didn't deserve… she was a better person than I"

It was the first time they had talked about her. They just hadn't really talked about there dead friends. Not Anneliese, Toivo, Alde or Larry. It wasn't that they didn't want to. But they hadn't had the chance. They had been on the move, there own lives in danger. It felt strange to suddenly stop now. To be in the safety of Hogwarts. But now more than ever it was really starting to hurt. Their friends should have been there with them.

The silence dragged on even longer. No one with the words to express anything more about their fallen friends and no one willing to change the subject – it seemed insensitive to do so.

"Do you think he can be trusted?" Spiro suddenly asked breaking the silence.

"He's just a boy," Andor said

"None the less I think we will need to keep a close watch on him. One of us should know where he his at all times." Cullen replied.

"I don't think he is going to like that," Andor said taking a sip of a warm watery drink.

"He doesn't have to" Spiro said

They fell into silence again until Matt came back from the celebrations looking thoughtful.

Sitting down he sighed heavily.

"We're all here now" Markus said looking around at his friends "and I know we all want to know what happened in the ministry"

"Where do I Start" Cullen said looking over at Matt "we made it to the Ministry without misshape and were lucky to gain the help of hundreds of ghosts"

"Hundreds?" Markus asked

Cullen nodded "hundreds of ghosts who knew of the box and helped us get to the veil behind which the box was hidden – which is wear Matt stepped in"

"But why me?" Matt asked

"Ah yes – I knew this would come up."

"Well?" Markus asked.

"The veil is a curious artefact; I expect even when the Ministry governed not much was known about it. The little I know of it was knowledge I gleaned from the diaries of Lucius the first. The veil it self appears to be similar to a gate way between life and death if you will. On one side there is life, this world and all that is in it. On the other is a place that exists beyond life. But the Veil is not simply a door. It is a magical device. A Wizards or Witches magic is bound to them, it is part of there very soul and flows through there veins. Take the magic from a magical creature and it will die."

"But why is that?" Verity asked, "Muggles live fine with out it"

"Your right, Muggles do, but that is there design. There blood will flow with out it; their hearts will keep on beating. There minds work in mysterious ways beyond the realms of magic. But a magical being has a different design; with out the magic in them there bodies cannot function. In order for a magical being to travel beyond life there magic must be striped of them as it binds them to life itself. If a magical being travelled through the veil there magic would be ripped from their very being. They may travel through but they will never be able to come back."

"And what of squibs?" Andor asked, "a lot of them are said to have no magic but under enough pressure incidences of accidental magic have shown up"

"This is a tricky question as so few squibs live very long today. But yes there are recordings of squibs that were lucky enough to be born into the order displaying acts of magic when there lives depended on it. Study's by far greater men than me have suggested that squibs are both magical and non-magical. Their bodies exist like a Muggles and yet magic still resides in them, weak it lays dormant, a by product of the parents that bore them. Is a healthy guess to assume that if a squib went through the veil they could return but would do so stripped of there dormant magic"

"But a Muggle could go back and forth with out dieing or losing anything" Verity said.

"That was my theory which seemed to be proven by the ghosts reaction to Matt"

"Matt's still with us and we got the box so I think its safe to say that your theory was proven right" Markus said.

"We shall see in time," Cullen said elusively.

"What do you mean by that?" Matt asked.

"That we have no way of knowing what the long term effects of the Veil will be on you. No one has ever gone through the veil and returned"

"What about Harry?" Verity asked, "he returned with his magic"

"The box is another very mysterious item, all that I have learnt of it I did so from the diary's again"

"Have you read all of them?" Verity asked suddenly looking with awe at Cullen.

"No, only the parts that I needed to, though rest assured that I will"

"So what _do_ you know about the box?" Markus asked.

"It was created a very long time ago by a man called Salazar Slytherin. Lucius talks about it as if it is an ancient artefact even back then. Who ever this Slytherin is he also had a lot of respect for him, as did his master who he refers to as only 'my lord' or 'our lord' but it can be guessed that he is the Dark Lord in the Legend of Harry Potter"

"Not a very nice man then I take it" Andor said.

"The Box itself will suspend what ever is in it in time, how this is accomplished though is well beyond my understanding of magic. Which comes back to how Harry Potter was able to go back and forth through the veil with out being stripped of his magic and dieing – he never did"

"Of coarse" Verity said with interest "he was suspended in time, technically he hasn't been any wear these last hundreds of years"

"In his Diary Lucius mentions throwing the box through the veil before blocking of the ministry and letting lose hundreds of beasts with in it… arrogant as he was he states that even if any one was to know where it was it would be impossible to retrieve. He of coarse did not even consider taking Muggles into account. He goes on to say that 'even if my master wishes to seek out the box to bring Harry Potter back he will find it impossible. The brat will not burden any of us again"

"I don't understand. He is speaking of his master as if he was still alive when Harry was in the box. Wasn't Harry Potter supposed to have defeated the Dark Lord of their time?" Andor asked.

"He did - Lucius seemed to think it was possible to bring him back however. Though he never did manage to"

Suddenly a scream burst though from the room in which Harry was sleeping. Rushing to there feet they burst into the room with there wands all raised to find Harry twisting and screaming in his sleep apparently in the clutches of a disturbing nightmare. Rushing forward Spiro grabbed his shoulders shacking him "wake up boy" he said loudly.

Harry's eyes flew open and found Spiro immediately. Harry flung himself back and away from his reach "_don't touch me!_" he screamed. Spiro backed away to give him distance. Harry had plastered himself against the wall by the bed his chest heaving, his eyes looking at the blurry figures before him, with a shaky hand he reached out to the bedside table and grabbed his glasses, slipping them on his face.

"Are you alright?" Markus asked gently.

"Peachy" Harry replied after a moment before feeling around for his wand.

"Ok. We'll leave you to it then" Andor said feeling awkward at how they had all burst in.

Turning they all filed out Cullen was last, he watched as Harry straitened him self up "when your ready to go down to the celebrations we are waiting for you in the main living area"

"Right" was his only answer as Harry turned away from him. Slowly Cullen left and closed the door.

* * *

"_Sirius?" Harry asked, "Where are you?" he turned around but he was alone, where was his godfather?_

"_Sirius?" he called as he made his way through a dark forest that was vaguely familiar. _

_The trees were tall and ancient, but it was not a friendly forest, it felt unsettled and threatening. Harry felt a growing sense of fear as he clambered up a small incline. But he could not stop himself. His legs carried him still further onwards and upwards towards something he did not want to see._

_And there it was, the dark castle, terror welled up inside of him as he turned to run. He did not want to go back there. He would do anything. He ran but felt like his legs would not move as fast as they should. Pushing as hard as he could he made his way in the opposite direction. _

"_Harry?" he heard his name called._

_Turning slightly he rushed towards his godfathers voice "Sirius!" he called back._

"_Harry?"_

"_I'm coming!" he screamed back "I'm nearly there"._

_Around the bottom of a small cliff he ran and up the other side, and there he was! His godfather. Relief filled him as he ran forward into the mans arms._

"_Sirius" he said in relief._

"_Its ok" the man said "its all going to be ok" but then the mans hands loosened form where they had been holding Harry and he sank to the ground screaming._

"_Help Me," he yelled desperately as Harry crouched down beside him "IM BURNING"_

"_No your not!"_

"_IM BURNING! CANT YOU SEE!"_

"_I cant! I'm sorry!"_

"_HELP ME!"_

"_I don't know what ahhhh" he fell backward as Sirius erupted in flames._

"_NO!" Harry screamed and leapt on top of Sirius trying to use his own body to put out the flames. But nothing happened. Sirius did not stop screaming, the flames continued to engulf his charring body and Harry could do nothing to stop it._

_Then Harry felt a burning pain in his forehead and began screaming himself, terror froze his body. Slowly he turned around to see Voldemort standing not ten feet away. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed. _

_Terrorised he was on the ground his face in the dirt his hands over his eyes but then some one grabbed his arms shacking him, terrorised Harry opened his eyes…_

There was a man holding him, a large dark man. Struggling he backed away, a moment later reality coming back to him, "_don't touch me_" he yelled shakily.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry was running home, a great scary black dog was following him. He had first noticed it around some bushes at his school. It was huge and seemed to him to be twice his size. Rushing around the corner into privet drive his eyes on the dog he ran head first into a man wearing a strange black dress.

Backing away he looked up at the man who was scowling at him "sorry" he said quietly before turning back around to find the dog had disappeared. "Why were you running" the man asked him.

"A – a big dog was chasing me"

"Is that so?" the man said steering back the way Harry had come.

"Yes" Harry said stubbornly before covering his mouth with his hand "sorry!" he said before running around the man towards number four.

* * *


	4. Chapter 3: Before You Die

**No Ones Hero**

**Chapter 3: Before You Die**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me_

* * *

Many years in the past…

Headmaster's office, Hogwarts.

The two men sat across from one another a cup of tea held lightly by one, a glass of wine grasped in the others hand.

"Severus…"

"I did not come here to be patronized"

"You must know how it sounds… even to me"

"I always suspected that they had done something like this. It explains how they got away with so much"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows but Severus pressed on unaffected " and it is the best explanation of how Black escaped from Azkaban"

"Yes you're right of course but how will it sound to the minister? Harry saw a dog chase him that you never saw"

"Not even Black is that stupid"

"And therefore it is Sirius Black escaped convict of Azkaban"

"An animagus!"

"And where do you suppose he learnt this? Becoming an animagus…"

"I thought I had made that obvious - both Potter and Black learnt while in school, it also explains why they were safe from that werewolf while I…"

"Still that is quite an achievement don't you think?"

Severus smirked "doubting the abilities of your Gryffindor golden boys?"

"But why keep it a secret"

Severus glared at his friend "and spoil all of the potential bullying they could accomplish?"

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair surveying the man across from him. "I suppose the question I should be asking is not whether your suspicions are likely but why you are so intent on…"

"The boy must be kept safe" Severus said his face blank of any emotion.

"Then this is not just an opportunity to get revenge on an old childhood rival?" Dumbledore said his blue eyes looking directly at Severus with an intensity that made even the feared potions master uncomfortable.

"I can not deny that if I were to be the one to hand Black to the Dementors there would be a certain amount of satisfaction," he said returning the elder mans stare steadily. They both already knew that was the truth of it and Severus saw no reason to deny it or say otherwise.

"Several members of the old crowd have already agreed to keep watch over Harry until Mr Black has been re-captured" Dumbledore said turning apparently in disinterest to pick out a sweet from a big brown paper bag that had been sitting on his desk and proceeded to gaze out the window. Severus knew it was Albus's way of dismissing any more of that discussion, but was not willing to be shut off.

"I don't intend to stand guard over the boy, as you know" he said

Dumbledore who was sucking hard on a piece of candy appeared to not have heard Snape at first.

The Sun was very bright but there was a splashing of clouds across the sky and they could both hear the normal noise of children talking, birds chattering and trees bending their great brunches in an almost unnatural manner.

"Why are you here Severus?" he finally asked, "You don't need my permission to hunt down Sirius Black"

Severus glared at the man angrily "I am here for a discussion with a friend - the war is over Albus, I am no longer some solider in your order, you do not come down for a glass of wine with me on evenings for secret meetings or battle plans old man. It is companionship that you like I seek out… my friends are few, and most are dead. I am not a boy any more, but a man and your equal, it is time you started to treat me as such – I am here to discuss my suspicion and seek a friends opinion"

Albus sighed, swallowed his lolly, and turned from the window and back to the man across from him. Carefully he took another sip of tea "it is true - there is no one alive any longer that I trust more than I do you, nor is there another with whom I can discuss the things that matter the most to me. You are a friend and confidant"

Severus stayed quiet; he could tell that Albus was not yet finished. Though he had stopped speaking he had that pensive look of deep thought upon his aged face, which was a sure sign that he had more to say.

"I require your patience Severus, I am only just beginning to learn how to be a friend. The draw back of being a leader I'm afraid, it has separated me and denied me the human companionship that I have long been in need of"

He took another sip of his tea and still Snape remained silent his dark eyes never leaving the crystal blue ones of the most revered and possibly most powerful, wizard of they're time.

"I am only human, and sometimes I need to be reminded of this"

* * *

Hogwarts Castle

Harry took a deep breath; he would have rather stayed in that bloody box. surely the blissful nothingness of unconsciousness was better than waking to find you've lost everything that you had left.

He closed his eyes briefly, taking a breath and a brief break from the onslaught to his sensors. The rush of sound and images hurt his head – he had still not recovered from his journey; despite having had a sleep and a feed of half grown vegetables with a funny coloured meat (something that was supposed to be a treat if going by his 'rescuers' meant anything).

He was in the great hall, but he couldn't see the sky out side. The enchanted roof seemed to have the same amount of Magic in it as the portraits that lined the walls – not much. Hogwarts was dieing.

The four tables were missing; only the head table remained with many smaller tables spread out around the hall. The crowd of strangers smiled at him. He found hands touching his arms and back as he sat drinking what a strange new type of alcohol they called 'Tosipia'. It seemed people were still craning to touch him.

Looking up at the head table he found his eyes roaming. The wizards who were seated there were obviously important. Cullen was there as well as Jonathan Weasley but he did not recognise any of the others. Despite his daze like state he was doing his best to learn about the world he was currently trapped in.

He would need to keep his focus if he was going to get out of this one. His eyes kept roaming to the middle of the head table, as if his body still believed he might see a familiar gaze settled on him, like it so often was.

A sudden idea struck him with such ferocity that he barely noticed he had moved before he was out of the great hall and running up towards the gargoyle and spiral staircase. Why he had not thought of this first thing he did not know.

Feeling intensely dizzy he found his hand touching the wall beside him. And then grasping it as if he was clutching to an old friend. Leaning against it he crushed his face to the stone bricks. There was nothing there of course; the stone cold seemingly dieing walls could offer him no comfort. Suddenly Harry found his body give way. But still he was drawn to the walls. Grasping at them. In his fallen form he did not notice Spiro some ten meters away watching him closely.

Harry was becoming weaker and weaker and then just before unconsciousness claimed him a great exploding awareness. He could see the great hall, he could see the blank sky outside, he could see all the portraits of Hogwarts – in a single moment he could see the last living parts of his home. And then all was black.

* * *

Cullen's rooms.

"He suddenly ran from the great hall, I followed and caught up to him as he collapsed to the ground. I thought that he was crying and did not want to intrude. That was when the bright white light came from his body and he went limp."

"A bright white light? " Markus asked incredulously.

"Yes" Spiro said.

"Coming from his body?" Cullen asked still passing backwards and forwards beside his couch where their fallen hero was laying still unconscious, having had a white light come from his body. Frankly Cullen didn't know what to make from it – it sounded ridiculous.

"Yes"

"I see"

"What do you make of it?" Andor asked

"You say he was holding onto the wall?" Cullen stopped suddenly and asked Spiro.

"Indeed" Spiro said looking at Harry intensively "he was clutching on to it in a desperate manner, that's when I thought he was crying"

Cullen recommenced his passing "Hogwarts is a very magical place, there are few places, if any quite like it in the world. It welcomed back its student as if the war had never happened opening its gates with a simple touch of his hand. But I do not know enough of Hogwarts to know if it could have had a part to play in Harry's collapse"

"Will he be alright?" Matt asked.

"I do not know" Cullen replied "for our sake I hope so"

Verity entered through the portrait with a heaving chest, walked over to one of the armchairs before sitting down.

"Verity?" Spiro asked looking less stone like than the others were used to. But Verity did not look back at him.

"Something has changed in the castle," she said looking at Cullen who was standing holding the back of the couch where Harry lay.

"The portraits – they're moving," she said.

"The portraits have always moved" Markus said.

"Not like this" she said looking up at the portrait on the opposite wall.

Swinging around Cullen, Markus, Andor and Matt all found their eyes on the portrait of an old women with an elegant high coloured green dress. Her eyes were closed, which was in itself unusual but other than that she seemed at first sight to be as still as usual.

Slowly the group moved closer.

"She's breathing" said Matt suddenly "look at her chest – she's sleeping!"

Silence ensured for a full minute as the occupants of the room looked in fascination at the moving breathing chest.

"And its not just the portraits" Verity said "the suites of armour, they move there heads as you walk past, the stair cases, they move as well. The entire castle is coming alive"

It was only a moment later and all but Harry had left the room to see for themselves.

Sure enough all over Hogwarts Order members were walking around there home in wonder as it slowly woke up from its slumber.

The silence of the occupants was made up for by the sound of the portraits greeting each other and celebrating they're reawakening.

"I knew this day would come" one of them announced happily to her friend "it was only so long before Hogwarts received students once again"

The current state of quite among the castle population was broken up with a shrill scream, quickly Spiro, Andor, Markus, Matt, Cullen and Verity rushed along with every one else, to find out what the cause of the screaming was.

Bursting around the corner they found one of the elder Order members; a 91-year-old women everyone called Stincy (her name was actually Stacy Nince) drenched in bright orange liquid.

A small crowd had appeared and she looked at them all in shock "the castle has a ghost!" she said whirling around "he did this to me!"

"But ghosts can't handle anything, its not possible" Someone said.

"Well I'm telling you that this one did," she said hotly.

"Perhaps it wasn't a ghost" Andor said "but something that looked quite similar"

"I may be old but I'm not senile yet, and I'm telling you it was a ghost!"

Cullen waved his wand and cleaned old Stincy up "I'm sure in time the mystery will be solved" he said as if he found the entire thing a bit funny.

Stincy glared at Cullen "I'm glad you find this so amusing! But the ghost is hardly the only problem, people are getting lost! The stair cases move and doors are appearing that have never been there before!"

This got Cullen's attention "doors? Leading where?"

Straightening her robes she looked at them all "why not go join the other explorers and find out for yourself".

Most of the group disbanded after that, except for Cullen and the others who Stincy approached slowly "I was actually on my way to see you, Jonathans lot have discovered an ancient library" she said "he's keeping it blocked of from everyone else and has specifically asked for it to be kept from you – I thought you might like to know" and with that she turned and left.

* * *

Harry awoke to find himself back in Cullen's rooms completely alone for the first time since he had arrived. Carefully he sat up and peered around himself. All of the groggyness he had been feeling since his arrival had left him.

"Hello there" a women's voice said.

Startled Harry spun around but he could see no one. It took him a moment to look up at the portrait and see an old women smiling at him.

"Hello" he said back "you're alive"

"Of course we were never dead, we can not die. We have been in a coma like state for a very long time however. It seems your presence has re-awoken us"

"My presence?"

"You _are _Harry Potter?"

"How?"

"I've just had to chuck out some more visitors to my portrait, every ones clamouring to get a look at you to see if the rumours are true"

"Where are Cullen, Matt and the others?"

"Oh they've run of to have a look around. The Castle is waking up again, its state of lockdown is coming to an end"

Getting up Harry rushed away though the portrait, out into the corridor and towards Dumbledore's office.

He didn't care about any of the other portraits; he only needed to speak to one.

Everywhere the corridors were filled with people, young and old walking around in wonder, talking to portraits, examining moving staircases, or strange statures that had not been there before.

They watched him in curiosity as he ran by but no one made to follow him for which he was pleased.

Now that they had reawakened the corridors seemed like they had not changed in all the years he had been away. He had never noticed before how busy and fill of life they had been until he had seen the castle in a state of – well death.

Stopping in front of the gargoyle he started sprouting out every Muggle lollie he could think of.

"Marshmallows, Jubes, jaffas, jelly babies, Eskimo's, pineapple lumps, lemon drops, dam it Albus! What did you…"

He must have gotten it right at some point because the staircase was there before him winding up. Harry took no time to run up the stairs and burst into the room.

It was nearly the same as Harry had last seen it. Except a think layer of dust covered everything. Little gold devises sat around on the shelves along with the books.

It smelt empty; it looked empty, like no one had been in there in hundreds of years. Fawkes perch was empty. It had never struck Harry so strongly that Dumbledore was dead than it did in that moment. It was real. He wasn't going to wake up. His dream like state had not simply been the product of his journey or headache, he realised that now, he had been in shock. But now standing in the dusty old office he found his legs heavily dragging into the room. His eyes looked around at the portraits that were all looking down at him quietly. And there right behind Dumbledore's old desk sat the old man himself; surveying Harry over his half moon glasses.

Harry walked up to it "Albus" Harry said quietly.

"Hello Harry"

"Your dead" he wasn't quiet sure why he said it, it was just standing there looking at the portrait made it so final.

"Yes I am."

* * *

London.

Cecil entered the house in which his brother had occupied.

"Arden?" he called out upon finding the living room empty. Stepping though into the bedroom he found that it too was empty. He returned to the living room and took a seat to wait for his brother to return, glancing the room over again he spotted the place the photo of his mother usually occupied.

"Shit" he said standing up and turned to leave, but as he approached the front door he spotted something. At the side of the door rolled up and stuck down was a scroll, it was placed so that when he entered he would not have seen it but when leaving he would have to have had his eyes closed to miss it.

Still annoyed about being tricked he pulled it from the door and unrolled it.

Cecil

_By__the__time__you__ get this __I__ will already __be__ well __on__ my __way__. __The__ Death eaters __you__have__ ordered __to__ watch __me__have__been__ a __source__ of amusement, they fumble around like idiots, much like __you__have__ with this little plot of yours. Did __you__ really think that __you__ could capture __me__? __You__ should __have__ known better. __But__ this is __not__ a letter __to__ mock __you__ little brother. It is __one__ last attempt __to__warn__you__. That diary is dangerous and it will do __you__ nothing __but__ harm. It cannot __be__ trusted. Destroy it now __or__die__._

_Arden._

Cecil read the letter quickly, his anger growing with each moment. He finished it, screwed it up and tossed it to the ground. Twisting around he found his wand pointed at the piano. His brother loved music. The piano exploded into thousands of tinny pieces which flew out through out the whole room.

Feeling a lot calmer Cecil brushed the splinters of his robes picked his brothers letter from where he had thrown it, left the house and walked calmly around the corner by several men in black robes "lets go" he said angrily "he's already gone"

That night as Cecil took his dinner by himself in his rooms he pondered his brother and the letter. In just three more days he would be announced and with the added power that gave him he would hunt out his elder brother.

The letter had clearly been a threat, he would need to move somewhere safer, and make sure he had more death eaters assigned to his protection. But it would have to be somewhere his brother would not expect… or somewhere he would be unable to murder his own brother. Cecil knew just the place, the only problem would be getting his fathers agreement, that part of the castle had been boarded of for years.

He would also need to come up with a plan to kill his father. His father had never loved him and he had never loved his father. He would feel no regret in his murder. It was just another part of the plan – of course originally Arden had planned to kill him, he had probably had something big planned for the man.

Arden held Cash responsible for his mother's death, something that in Arden's eyes seemed to outweigh everything else the man had actually done. Although Cecil agreed that Arden had plenty enough reasons to kill their father he did not hold the man personally responsible for their mothers murder.

Arden had already told him that Armine had murdered her; he had even watched Arden kill her for it. Watching his aunt being killed had made it easier for him to sleep at night. It seemed it didn't do the same for Arden though. The satisfaction Arden had found in her death was short lived and ever since he had thought of nothing else but their fathers down fall.

Arden had not simply wanted to sneak into the mans room and stab him while he slept. Not even a long drawn out death by poisoning had been enough. No Arden wanted to first destroy everything that the man had loved. Having already killed Armine he had moved onto Callystah before destroying most of his fathers inner circle at workcamp 34. Cecil did not know what Arden had planed next as he had only every told him the parts he would be involved with directly, but he knew it had finished with his own eventual rise to power.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Stop it!" Ashley Powden said angrily pushing Dudley away from Harry.

The boy's glowered at her but walked off a moment latter, leaving Harry to watch after them in surprise.

Picking him-self of the ground he looked at her, she was looking back at him with a friendly smile on her lightly freckled face. She pushed some of her shoulder length brown hair behind her ear.

"You alright?"

Harry nodded and watched as she walked away.

After school that day Dudley was particuly nasty to him, Harry knew it was because of what Ashley had done, but he didn't care - it was all worth it. He had a friend. Surly that was what Ashley was? She had been nice to him after all, and that's what friends were – people who were nice to you.

Harry smiled to him self from in his cupboard that night. Not in the least bit focused on the family watching TV together, or his hungry stomach. He had a friend. A _friend_. "A friend" he said out loud feeling out the words in his mouth.

…………

The next day Harry didn't drag his feet to school. He knew the bullies would be waiting for him. But at least now he had a friend. Smiling he watched the trees over his head as he sprinted down the hill on his way to school.

Peeking around the side of the fence like every other morning he couldn't believe his luck. Dudley hadn't arrived yet. Glancing around he sprinted of to his classroom. With one of the first bully free mornings in a long time behind him Harry sat in his usual seat. Glancing across to Ashley's seat wondering when she would arrive he pulled out his workbook.

The other students arrived one by one, Ashley was one of the first and Harry made sure to smile at her as she walked past him.

"Hi Harry," she said smiling back.

Harry ignored the nasty remarks he got in class that day from his fellow students, not that he usually reacted but they didn't seem to hurt as much. And he was less fazed by the customary pushing and shoving that he received as other students moved past him.

At lunchtime Harry found him self pressed against the brick wall of the E block. He was hiding from the bullies. From where he stood he was protected by a garden, which he could see out through. He had a view of the field, which was filled with children playing, kicking footballs, playing chasing games, or just wondering around together in groups.

He could see Dudley on the far side of the field with his gang picking on some other kid. His eyes fell on Ashley who was sitting with a small group of girls not to far from where he was hiding. Glancing again at his cousin Harry stepped out from the garden. The girls looked up at him as he walked over. They were all smiling at him, a girl called Sarah was giggling to her friend Natalie, who was whispering something back.

Smiling back at the group Harry stopped just in front of them.

"Hi Harry" Ashley said, "Did you just come out of the garden?"

"Yes" said Harry "I was hiding"

"You know your not allowed in the gardens" Sarah said "ill tell Miss Mallet on you"

"I didn't mean to…"

"Do you still wet your bed?" Natalie suddenly asked.

Harry felt his stomach squirm "no".

"Then why do you always smell?" Sarah asked.

All the girls started to giggle except for Ashley who just kept smiling at Harry.

Harry looked at her "I'm only aloud one shower a week, its not my fault"

"Is that because your mum and dad don't love you? That's what my mum says. She says we should feel sorry for you," the last girl who was called Katie asked.

Harry frowned at the girl "my mum and dad love me"

"Then why are you only allowed one shower a week?"

"I don't know" he said, "Can I sit with you?"

The girls looked at each other "no" they laughed.

Harry frowned his eyes found Ashley but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking right past him and at some other kids playing. At least she wasn't laughing at him he thought.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you smell and no one likes you," Sarah said.

"Ashley likes me," he said.

"She does not" Natalie said, "why would she like you? You stink and your dumb and every one knows you're weird"

"No he's not," Ashley said so quietly that for a moment no one reacted.

Harry felt his chest heave with happiness. It didn't matter what they said to him if Ashley still liked him. He still had one friend and one friend was all that he needed.

All the girls looked at her and then begin laughing, "Ok Ashellllyyyy wants to be your friend Harry. Go play with your new friend Ashley" Sarah said.

All of the girls began laughing and started to push Ashley towards Harry.

"No" Ashley said just as quietly.

Harry's stomach dropped.

"Harry and Ashley in the tree K I S S I N G"

Ashley took a step back further away from Harry "I don't like _Him_" she said angrily "he's a stinky freak"

"Stinky freak! Stinky freak" the other girls chorused.

Harry just stood there for a moment. It took him a moment to fully register what Ashley had said. His only friend ever had called him a freak.

Turning he started to walk in the direction of the road. It hurt somewhere in his stomach but he couldn't pin point exactly where.

It hardly mattered. No one loved him. No one wanted him. He was dumb, he was smelly, he was ugly and weird and a freak. He felt tears on his face, which was hot.

He started to run then and run and run, away from the school down the road, away from the other children who were laughing and playing.

It was just like his uncle told him, he was nothing. He had never quite understood exactly what his uncle had meant by that but now he did. He wasn't any one and he never would be.

'The boy who lived' saviour of the wizarding world was later found by none other than Severus Snape who intervened on a little meeting between said boy and a rather large black dog. A large black dog that got away… but that part of the story is for the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 4: Souvenir’s

**No Ones Hero**

**Chapter 4: ****Souvenir's **

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

* * *

I'm free here in my land of things I know

These walls of rock and stone

This lake of blue delight

This forest of grand mystery

This place I call my home

I love how it lives and breaths

How the breeze sounds in the willow trees

How the stairs creak and move under me

How the painted lady can sing

Destiny couldn't take me from thee

Great Castle, you are my home

You hold a piece of me

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry knew he had really done it this time. Running away from school was bad – very bad. Uncle Vernon would be furious. And he was lost which certainly didn't help. For some reason he had rushed of with out thought of where he was going and ended up in streets he had never been to before. Harry was not very familiar with the world outside Private Drive or his primary school simply because the Dursley's never took him anywhere and he had never been brave enough to actually run away before. So there were few places he could have run to anyway, but still he felt a bit stupid. His small legs ached and he was hungry. Several times well meaning adults had stopped to ask if he was all right and Harry had swiftly sprinted away until they were out of sight.

Harry sat himself down in a walkway that wound between houses and joined two streets. It was not well used and Harry was left there to ponder his fate, being a six year old he had a good imagination and managed to get himself quite worked up.

He was relived to be alone at least, he had been looking over his shoulder constantly when he had been out in the open, and he had not been able to shake the feeling that he was being followed. Every now and then he would twist quickly around and catch a glimpse of something black, but it would be gone so quickly he had been unable to be sure if there was anything truly there.

* * *

This was not what Severus had in mind when he had gone to the headmaster looking for some advice. He had been hoping to start his search for Black with out having to involve himself with the Potter brat at all. But somehow in the conversation (which he had at first believed was going his way) Dumbledore had managed to have him agree to follow the boy. It was the easiest way to find Black if he was truly wandering the streets of little Winging in search of 'the boy who lived', not only that but it was an added assurance for the safety of the boy. So here he was hidden under an invisibility cloak waiting for James Potter's son to leave for school.

Peering in through the front window he could make out a skinny woman who was shrieking at someone out of his view. Then a huge round lump of a boy came bounding into the lounge, his face scrunched up and red, he was making a sound very much like crying but no tears were present. The women rushed in soon after and handed the boy a fist fill of sweets, which shut him up for only a few moments. Snape felt his lips tighten in disgust.

Then the front door which was just meters from him opened and he turned and watched as the figure of a small boy quietly closed the door behind him as if to not disturb the occupants of the house and started down the path by himself. The boy was small for his age, and wearing tattered clothing that looked as though it had never seen the inside of a washing machine (magical or Muggle). He had not noticed last time he had seen the boy; his meeting had been so quick and unexpected. The boy had literally run right into him, and then run of quickly with barley a word. It had taken Snape a moment to realise that he had been looking at Harry Potter. And as for his dirty appearance – he had passed that of as the result of rough and tumble boy's play. But now that he could properly observe the child, this was clearly not the case.

Snape followed behind the lone child, observing the boy who despite his get up and obvious state of starvation was bursting into excited running causing Snape to have clamber along behind him in furious annoyance. Snape was accustomed to stalking around the corridors of Hogwarts, but it had been awhile since he had required the level of fitness that the boy had as he sprinted _up_ a not so small hill. Peacetime was making him lazy he observed.

Snape felt irritation as the boy lifted his arms and waved them about as he ran down the other side of the hill towards his school. He looked utterly ridiculous to the point that Snape had to resist the erg to yell at Harry from underneath the invisibility clock just to terrify the little waif.

Snape caught up as the boy came to the gate and peered around the corner. Snape twisted around to try and see what the boy was looking for – but whoever it was they were ether not present or as the boy had expected to find them because with one last glance the boy nearly skipped across the asphalt towards his class room, with Snape marching angrily behind him completely invisible to those around.

Quickly and quietly Snap settled himself in the corner of the room and cast some quick repelling charms on himself to prevent any of the children from falling upon him. Snape learnt two things in his morning spent in a Muggle school. First of all Muggle children were just as infuriating as Magical children. And second, Harry Potter was very quiet, withdrawn and disliked by his classmates. In fact Snape noticed several incidences of outright bullying in the short time he was there and each time the teacher did nothing.

He could not say that he felt sorry for the young James look-a-like but he did not possess a heart of stone either. He did feel _something_ about the neglected, bullied, green-eyed child. But what exactly he could not place. He checked the perimeter spells he had put up the night before around the school every ten minutes to make sure they were not being tamped with (for he was nothing if not methodical). But nothing set them off that day.

Harry smiled at a girl who was sitting not far from him and was rewarded with a smile in return. Snape felt something strange in his gut. This little brown-haired girl reminded him very much of a girl he used to know. He cursed himself a moment later, but the comparison had been made. It was not however the reminder of the little girl that troubled him the most, it was Harry. The little girl reminded him of Lilly, but not simply because of the little girl herself, but because of Harry Potter… Harry Potter did not remind him of just one little boy, but of two. It was almost painful to see Lilly's green eyes on a child who had been treated so much like he had once been. He could see himself there smiling shyly at Lilly, childishly hoping against hope that he had finally found a friend… he felt himself grow cold then- damn James Potter! Even in death he still haunted him.

At break time the children all rushed of to play with there friends. Harry hung back until all of the other children had left which made it easier for Snape. Snape trailed behind Harry to a garden and watched as the boy crawled in behind a bush.

He raised his eyebrows in mockery for a moment before exactly what the boy was doing became apparent. He was not playing a game, well not in the traditional sense any way. You could call it 'hide and seek' if you wanted, Harry preferred to call it 'Harry Hunting'. Harry was hiding from the bullies who tormented his school life. While the other children ate snacks and played games such as hopscotch and football Harry hid behind a bush trying very hard to not get noticed.

Despite it all he continued on with the unusually happy mood he had been displaying all that day. A stirring of suspicion suddenly entered Severus's mind; had Harry been slipped a potion to inhibit the reasonable part of his brain. It was not uncommon, it was useful to lull a victim into a false sense of security – it was also a common practice by Aurors questioning prisoners or suspects.

Raising his wand Snape cast some simple charms to cheek but found nothing – much to his disappointment. He watched as Harry's attention found the brown-haired girl from class. He watched Harry bite his lip before leaving his hiding place and approached the girls. He had forgotten how young children started with there cruelty towards one another.

He growled silently and rushed after the boy as he ran of. It was completely idiotic! The boy could have returned to his blasted bush for goodness sake but instead he was rushing of on his own. Stupid, stupid boy. At least his ridiculous happiness had come to an end; his small shoulders were slouched forward in defeat, his head hung forward.

It was following the brat around the corner of another street that he got his first sighting of the dog he was certain was in fact Sirius Black. It was unusually large, and looked half starved. His fir was stuck together in clumps with bits of twig and leaves. It looked utterly out of place in suburban England, especially among the well-trimmed hedges and perfect little houses of the neighbourhood Harry Potter lived.

Taking a last look at the boys retreating form Snape took of in the opposite direction, determined that the mongrel would not get away that day…

* * *

Hogwarts Castle (present time)

Dead. It was so final. Dumbledore's portrait looked down on him from his portrait just how he would when alive. His blue eyes shone though his half moon spectacles with the kindness he seemed to always reserve especially for Harry.

And then Harry saw her on Dumbledore's right, Minerva McGonagall.

She was looking at him in her usual severe way "I'm glad you made it back to us" she said

His eyes flicked past his old professor but the portraits stopped there.

"I was the last headmaster of Hogwarts" she said, "Hogwarts has been in battle lockdown"

"Tell me how it happened" Harry said quickly riding himself of any unwanted emotions.

* * *

Photos were a rear treasure to the inhabitants of Hogwarts castle. Photos could hold a person in a moment, and moments were so fleeting and so quickly over, then the person was gone forever.

Cullen let himself linger on the photo of his son for a moment longer. The day he had said good buy to Toivo and sent him on his way to London he had known that he might never see him again. But still it had not prepared him for the shock when Markus had admitted the truth to him the day that he had arrived back at the Order headquarters with the diaries.

He had loved his son dearly; he had been so like his wife, his one true life. He had been a reflection of everything good in him. But he could not afford to spend any more secret hours hidden in corners looking at a picture of his child, which could never come to life. He placed the photo back into the box and locked it. He would put it away now for the last time. He had a future to create for the rest of them, a future that might never have been possible with out the sacrifice his boy had made.

* * *

Spiro, Verity, Markus and Matt stood upon a tall tower, which until Harry Potters arrival had been closed of to them all. They looked into the darkness and remembered those that they had left behind.

Suddenly Markus raised his wand and shot a great shower of red and orange sparks into the sky above them, the lit up the tower in the blinding light "for Toivo" he said fighting any tears that threatened to leave his eyes.

Verity raised her wand and shot out Blue and pink sparks into the sky so that the dirt ground surrounding Hogwarts became momentarily illuminated. "For Anneliese" she said her voice breaking up. But not a single tear meet her cheek.

Andor who had been standing just inside the door stepped forward then, raising his wand he sent a shower of silver raindrops falling all around them "Larry" he said strongly.

Then Spiro lifted his wand and many little birds made of light fluttered around them briefly "The Muggles of Workcamp 34" he said.

When the last bird had disappeared Matt uttered a little Thank you, but then joined the expectant silence. They were waiting to see who would take the farewell of lights for Alde. Finally Andor stepped forward and fired a yellow and purple shower of lights that hung around them like little waterfalls.

"We will never forget these people who we loved, these friends we bid good bye, this family we have lost. But now a new hour has come and me must leave them all behind. For what we knew is gone and we the living must move on. May your souls go on forever, may your spirits never wane, and though your bodies may be broken your lives were not in vein"

The order members knew the words well, for they were spoken after every farewell of lights, but this type of sentiment for the dead was new to Spiro, and this lack of sentiment new to Matt. In normal wizard society the dead were no longer of importance, they were gone, as was any use they held to the world. When some one died that you loved it was your duty to carry on with out a single tear. Children were raised in such a way that they were encouraged to not form attachments. Of course they did, every one of them. You can rule over a person but you can never fully strip them of there humanity. So in the dark places in secret every body weeped for those they had lost. But there was never any outward public signs of affection like were traditionally displayed in the order.

It was the opposite in to the Muggles. They honoured the dead as best as they could in the squalid conditions. Then they remembered there dead in talks together. Felt their names over there lips on regular occasions. Carved a symbol on their behalf somewhere that reminded them of the person so that they could live on long after their death. It was these people that propelled them on, not just in secret but also in very public ways. But here Matt could not talk and share stories of those they had lost, he did not even know who exactly they had lost. He did not know if every one he knew would be dead or if against all odds some of his people had made it. He wanted to carve them a symbol into the stone of Hogwarts but could not.

"I'm going back," he said suddenly

The others looked at him; they knew where it was he was speaking. "I don't belong here, I need to be with my people"

"It will be dangerous" Andor said "you might never even make it there"

"I have to try" Matt said.

"Why?" Markus asked "I don't mean to sound stupid, but you've got us now, Hogwarts can be _your_ home as well"

Matt smiled back at Markus "Thank you for your friendship, I never thought it would be possible to learn to trust a wizard, but I trust you all. But you are not like me."

Markus looked incensed "because you don't have magic?" he asked

"No" Matt said "its not only magic that divides us. I understand this more each day. It is our very way of living. How we interact. How we live. How we remember those who have died," he said the last part slowly. And his words hung in the air briefly around them.

"This castle in not a… natural place for me. I must be looked after at all times now that it has come back to life. It does not react to me like it does to you. I could fall to my death where you would be protected. This is not how I want to spend my life"

They all understood the last part. For they all respected how a person might want to spend their life.

"I will come with you" Spiro said suddenly "that is how I wish to spend my life"

An awkward silence lasted for a few moments "then I will also go" Verity said seriously.

Spiro looked sharply at her "why?" he asked in the same serious tone he always used. But they all knew it was spoken with a lot of emotion behind it. It was the way he was staring at her, and the way she was not staring at him.

"I do not want to be separated from you," she said.

He stepped towards her so that he was standing directly in front of her.

"You do not want to be separated from the son of the man who had your entire family murdered?"

She still could not look at him, but his eyes never left hers "the son of the man who has killed so many of the people that you know."

"That is the past," she said coldly.

"Despite what we are taught the past never truly leaves us" Spiro said "you all still grasp onto legends of boys with superhuman powers. And you will all mourn for many years for those you have lost on this quest, despite the fact that those lights have left the air. The past can live with out us, but we don't live with out our pasts. As hard as we try we can not" he stepped still closer and grasped her chin in his hand and raised her face to look at him "could you live next to me knowing that our pasts are intertwined in such a terrible way?"

She pushed his hand from her angrily "I was willing to _try_" she said before storming off letting the door stand open behind her.

"You're an idiot," Andor said to Spiro after Verity had been gone for a minute.

But Spiro only raised his eyebrow at him before turning to leave also.

"She is willing to leave the past behind, to make a better future. But you are caught up in it; you are letting it poison you. Life will not end well for you if you cannot separate yourself from your father – I say this as a friend. Verity is a good girl, and I believe she cares deeply for you. You should not disregard something so precious"

Markus stood silently watching the scene unfold. His heart beating against his chest. He could not stand the thought of Verity leaving with Spiro. She was the last of his friends. The four of them who had made Hogwarts there play ground. And… he felt something painful in his stomach clench, he _needed_ her.

"You would have her come with me?" Spiro asked Andor

"I believe that you would protect her"

"It would be reckless, Matt and I will travel best with only the two of us, and you know as well as I that we will almost certainly be travelling into our deaths"

"Do you think you can stop her from going with you if she wants to?" Andor asked

"That is why Matt and I will make our plans in secret. Cullen must know that we are going but we will tell know one when we are to leave"

Spiro continued on his way again but was stopped once more "if you are doing this to protect her you must know that she will see it only as rejection"

"I know her! Betterthan you Andor, and what of you!" Spiro's angry eyes found Markus's "you have been silent in this discussion. But you are happy for her to stay – don't try and hide it from me boy. I know the feelings you have to her better than you can admit"

Spiro made another sound low that grumbled in his throat "when I leave there will be no one else who I would trust with her more… if she will have you, take care of her" and with that he was gone and Markus was standing open mouthed and humiliated with Andor's sharp eyes on him.

"Despite his cold demeanour he is very observant" Andor said looking at Markus intently.

* * *

"We were tricked" Dumbledore said

"You were tricked into the box by Malfoy senior, Severus was tricked into giving me poison and I was tricked into drinking it"

"_Snape_ gave you poison?" Harry asked.

"Yes _Potter_ I did" A snaky voice said from the opposite wall to where Dumbledore's portrait stood.

Harry whirled around in surprise to see his old potions professor staring back at him with his dark eyes.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Blackmail can be a terrible thing" Dumbledore supplied.

"Dumbledore trusted you!" Harry said angrily.

"Lucius had my mother, what would you have done!"

Harry's demeanour changed suddenly "I would have done what ever it took" He said angrily "I just never considered you the type"

Snape sneered back at him "you didn't think you were the only one capable of turning on your friends"

"No. But you would have been my last pick"

"Strange, I would have said the same for you once" Snape said.

"Boys! This is not getting us anywhere. Harry what you need to know is this…."

* * *

The Castle Altus Arcis…

Cecil had just been officially announced. He should have been happy. But he wasn't. After the celebrations he had found his feet leading him here. It was the room that his brother had spent a good portion of his childhood. It had been his prison.

The room was big enough to hold a bed; a bookshelf filled with books a wardrobe, desk and small table. You might have believed that his father had in fact been kind to Arden if you had thought that this had been the boy's first prison. Rather this had been the place Arden (then a small child) had been transferred once their father had discovered a use for him.

It had been on Armine's insistence that Arden should not be left in the dark dungeons where he would eventually die of cold or disease. Armine was dead now; murdered at the hand of the boy she had once helped.

To the outsider it might have seemed like a terrible betrayal. But Arden did not kill simply for pleasure though Cecil had no doubt that his brother enjoyed it. Arden always had a reason, it was calculated, it was reasoned, and it was almost crueller because of it. With Arden victims were almost always given a false sense of security. Arden liked to earn a person's trust before he killed them. He liked to know the person he was to kill, he wanted to know their heart and mind. Or as he put it, he liked to taste them before he killed them and they were gone forever.

Armine had been no different. She had underestimated him and it had lead to her death. Cecil had once believed that he was the only person in the world safe from Arden. But now he was beginning to see that not even he was safe from the genius of his strange sibling. It was true that his brother had saved his life numerous times, but Arden had been known to save the lives of people just so it could be he who killed them.

Cecil found himself drawn to the only portrait in the room; inside it was a woman who was not physically beautiful in any way. She had lank hair and a lumpy face with eyes that were turned in odd directions. She smiled sadly back at him when he looked at her.

"Who are you?" he asked, he had never spoken to her before for he found her appearance repulsive.

"My name is Merope" she said slowly "and you are Cecil"

"Did you speak to my brother?"

"I was once Arden's only company, we would often talk" she said

"What was he like?" Cecil asked "I didn't know him then"

The portrait seemed to consider her words carefully "he was a very sad little boy. There was an understanding between us though; When I was alive my family treated me very badly also."

Cecil looked away uncomfortably but the portrait didn't seem to notice, "Despite his hardships he was very brave. I suppose when people talk about him now they probably speak of his intelligence. And though he is a gifted like nothing I could have ever fathomed before I meet him, that is not what I will remember him for." Cecil turned his questioning eyes back to her.

"It was his heart I will always remember"

Cecil looked at her as if she was a little mad "his heart?" he had to chock back a laugh, for it was obvious that this portrait had developed some sort of crush on Arden. It wasn't uncommon, Arden was very handsome and every one had believed him to be a very powerful wizard.

"Yes but not that piece of muscle beating in his chest but his soul"

"You knew a different Arden to the one that exists today" Cecil said, "He has no heart, he intends to kill his father and I believe him capable of killing his only brother"

"Do you think so?" Merope said

"I know so madam"

"You know, the boy I knew was consumed with anger and hate also, it propelled him onwards. He forced himself to be the best at everything like he knew he could be. He may be a squib but he knows how to manipulate magic using magical items and I would be confident in saying that he is probably more knowledgeable about the realms of magic than any other person.

He was deadly even as a boy. He first instrumented the death of a man in this castle when he was only ten years old. He was not even present when the man was killed, but I know for a fact that he was to blame. He knew exactly what to do to create the right circumstances, the right string of events. It amused him that first time. And it frightened me to see the cold delight in him. Like he had just discovered a fascinating toy. But over the years that I knew him I saw him not just at his most dangerous, his coldest, his most frightening, but also at his most weak and tender. I saw him curled up alone at night crying by himself. I saw the little boy trapped in the centre of his cold exterior, the sad little boy who never grew up."

"Do you think that boy is still there now?" Cecil asked in interest

She considered him for a moment "make no mistakes young one, do not think it something useful, that boy is hidden well deep inside, Arden would never allow you that close."

Cecil felt rage stir up inside him, but he pushed it back "didn't you here? Arden is dead," he said trying to hurt the Portrait. But the portrait only smiled back.

"I doubt Arden would have gotten himself killed in such a reckless way. I know better than to underestimate him. He's alive – just what he's got planed I have no idea but I expect its something big."

"If he is alive then you have given me his only weakness" Cecil said.

"And yet you will not use it against him"

"You don't know me"

"I know enough"

"I have been announced – the way I see it Arden is the only possible thing that could stand between myself and ruling" He said and turned to leave.

"Oh yes and by the way I've arranged for you to have some new company"

She raised her eyebrows at his back as he left.

* * *

Arden moved slowly along the road. He was not in any rush. The air was clear around him for there was no mist to hide Hogwarts from him. He knew of Hogwarts, he knew it very well.

Despite the way in which he wondered towards the great castle he could not help but feel some excitement. If what he suspected proved to be true then he would finally be able to meet Harry Potter. He knew Harry Potter like he knew Hogwarts, for it was Harry Potter who had introduced him to Hogwarts.

Harry Potter had been his best friend during the hardest parts of his life. He knew Harry better than Harry knew himself.

Harry was a potential danger to the empire, but he was sure he could neutralise the threat he posed without actually killing him. No- he would only kill him as a last resort.

* * *

Harry's feet carried him to Gryffindore tower with the usual familiarity. The people in the corridors out for a walk and talk to the portraits that now amazingly spoke back parted in his wake. Harry ignored them for the most part. He was used to being treated with some fear. But when a young boy who had been running around a corner chased by some other children (the first children he had seen in the castle so far) ran right into him and then burst into tears and plastered himself against a wall Harry had to act.

Walking slowly towards the boy he could see the adults around out of the corner of his eye watching closely. When he was directly in front of the boy he bent down so that he was on eye level with the kid.

"Hello, I'm Harry. What's your name?" he asked in as gentle a tone as he could master.

The boy mealy stared back at him silently with big brown tearfully eyes that made Harry feel angry. But taking a big breath he forced himself to be calm. "I assume that you do have a name" he tried.

"Philip Harris" the boy forced out.

"Nice to meet you Philip" Harry said putting out his hand to shake.

The boy looked at Harry's hand in confusion.

He glanced at the adults and noticed that they didn't seem to have any idea why he was sticking his arm out in such a manner and he let it drop mildly bemused.

Standing back up Harry surveyed the other children who were standing several meters back watching the scene in silence. "It looked like you were all having fun. What were you playing?"

"Silver Guard, Death Eaters and Rebels" One of the girls said, she was a small little girl with blond curls and blue eyes.

"Which are you?" he asked with forced curiosity.

"We are the rebels," the girl said puffing up her chest. "We hide from the Death Eaters and attack them from behind and kill all Silver Guard that we meet on our dangerous missions"

"Sounds like fun" he said smiling at them.

"It is" said Philip bravely "you can come and play if you want as well"

"Perhaps another time" Harry replied "bye" and he continued on his way leaving a group of open-mouthed rebel children in his wake.

He moved up one more flight of stairs towards the fat lady who sat looking at him as he approached.

"Back to disturb my sleep I see," she said in feigned distaste.

"Eh… yes?" he said smiling at her.

"Haven't changed in the least – would have thought that after many hundreds of years you might have matured a bit more, ah well, password?"

"My home" Harry said firmly.

She rolled back and Harry stepped into the common room and away from the watchful gaze of the order.

He stood for a while in the common room; it looked just like he remembered. There were some lollie rappers here and there, some daily prophets left by the conches where there owners had been reading them, he glanced at one of them 'Northern Ireland Falls" it read.

On the notice board the quidditch practice timetable was still posted as well as a notice for students learning Apparition. There was also a list of safety rules that looked almost identical to the ones that had been posted during Voldemort's reign of terror.

With a wave of his wand the dust that had settled disappeared. Harry lit the fire to give the place the warm glow he had always found so comforting.

Noticing how strong the silence was in the normally bustling room Harry walked over to the magical record player and turned it on. A famous wizard pop band called "The yellow Unicorns" began playing. Harry had heard this music playing in the background so many times as he had sat doing his homework with his friends. He had never been a big fan, but now it sounded just perfect to him.

Turning to the room he moved up into the boys dormitory.

The first thing that Harry noticed was that his trunk was still there just as he had left it, cloths tumbling out from the sides. He had been in a big rush to find clothing that looked just right to impress the Dursley's…

With surprise he saw that the other boys trunks were also there. Ignoring them for the moment he bent over his own trunk and pulled out his uniform. He couldn't say exactly why but he _wanted_ to wear it. He changed his cloths and found himself in front of a mirror gazing at the lines of his face and clothed body. His uniform still fitted perfectly, he hadn't aged a day since he left. To him it felt like only yesterday that he had been here among his friends, but so much had changed. He could almost see the other boys in the dorm room with him talking about quidditch or something of that kind.

He felt so alone. Gryffindor tower almost seemed haunted.

"Hello?" a voice said behind him "did I here someone?" Harry whirled around with his wand out but lowered it immediately at the sight of Nearly-Headless Nick "Nick!" Harry said, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you"

"Nor I you Boy! – They said you would… and now here you are. About bloody time too"

"How long has it been?" Harry asked

"I don't know" the ghost said sadly floating over to get a closer look at Harry.

"How is it no one seems to know how long has past?" Harry asked

"Haven't you noticed" Nearly Headless Nick said pointing towards the window "time goes buy but there is no day or night any more. Wizards have watches and count how many years they've been alive but no one can be sure if they have it right, no one knows exactly how many years have been by. All they can do is guess"

Harry having lived for a period of time in a lightless, day-less haze when held captive by Voldemort knew what it could do to a person. 'It's how they live now', he realised. Things had changed.

"How did this happen?" Harry asked

Nearly Headless Nick was standing by the window "It happened after the wizarding world had been taken over. The Malfoys then settled their sights on the Muggle world. They underestimated them." Nearly Headless Nick turned form the window.

"They did not anticipate the power of the technology the Muggles had. It was inevitable that the Wizards would win; there was no place that Muggles could hide, no barricade high enough to keep out an apparating army. But they didn't go down with out a fight.

Pillars of fire that killed everything for kilometres around, animals' dead and dieing, children even wizarding children born with strange diseases. It was a terrible time to have to live through. But in the end the wizards won and together they cast a spell the pushed all of the poison that had built up on the earth into the sky's blocking out the light but protecting the planet from inevitable death"

"Nuclear warfare"

Nick nodded "and then they enslaved all of the Muggles and built a wizarding society based on fear and control"

Harry sat down on his bed and rested his head in his hands. He had only just made it out of the last war with his mind still intact. Could he do it again and still cling to his last pieces of humanity? He didn't want to fight in another war – but he as beginning to see that he didn't really have a choice.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry looked up as something huge and black began making its way towards him. Quickly he pushed himself to his feet and ran as fast as his legs could carry him in the opposite direction. But the large black dog was much quicker than he was and it quickly caught up with him and pushed him to the ground.

Harry sucked in a breath of dirt; his body was trembling in fear, would this giant dog eat him? He felt its wet muzzle on his neck. Tickling him and he tensed wondering if it would bite him in the next moment. But then it started to lick him instead and Harry started to struggle out from underneath the heavy mass of matted fir.

Pushing himself up he turned to look at the straggly looking animal before him; wrinkling his nose briefly at the smell he remembered his manners "hello" he said "I'm Harry".

The dog turned its head to the side and observed him "where are you from?" Harry asked it.

It wined at him and then turned in the direction Harry had been running and wagged its tail as if it were waiting for Harry to follow.

Feeling a little bit happier Harry followed it "you look like you live by yourself. I live with my Aunt and Uncle but they don't want me," Harry said heavily "Does everyone hate you too?"

The dog barked and growled in response, but it did not frighten Harry, he was sure this dog was not growling at him, it wasn't even looking at him.

They travelled through several streets where the people glared and chased them on. Each time the dog would run around said person and jump up and bark and Harry would laugh and run to catch up.

Harry felt strangely safe with the mangy mutt and was having more fun with the dog as his companion than he could ever remember having. They even played games like tag, at first he was a little anxious when he began laughing happily, glancing around as if the Dursly's would appear out of no where to tell him of for enjoying himself. But soon he was relaxed and any thought of the Dursly's or the trouble he was in left him in the haze of games and running races.

It was in the middle of one such race that thing's became quite hectic. Harry was racing to catch up as usual because he was much slower than the dog. The dog had spun around to bark at him playfully when it froze in apparent horror. Harry turned around to see a terrifying man dressed in a black cloak charging towards them, a scowl on his face and a small stick in his hand.

Twisting back around Harry made to run to the dog except that the dog was no longer there, instead there was a raggedly looking man wearing rags and covered in filth coming at him from the other direction. Harry stood frozen for a moment before running away from both men, down a road nearby road. He was aware of flashing lights and a loud popping noise behind him. His legs pumped him forward away from the men behind him.

The further away he got the better he felt until finally he sat down on the side of a road he had never seen before. His suddenly felt very alone and frightened. He hoped the dog was ok wherever it was. He felt cold and hungry and he did not know how to get home. Tears welled up in his eyes and just as a tear trickled down his cheek a hand reached out and wrenched him around.

Harry struggled wildly as the man dressed in black brought him forcefully to his feet.

"Do you know who that dog was?" the man asked him angrily, his face inches from his own.

"No" Harry whimpered.

The man grumbled something then marched of dragging an overwhelmed Harry with him.

* * *

Spread the word around the world

Destiny's legends have come

It's time for us to face ourselves

And do what has to be done

* * *

**IMPORTANT**

I keep forgetting to mention that there is another part of this series posted. 'Kings and Pawns' is telling the part of the story hinted at in this and 'the legend of Harry Potter' of Harry's time spent captive having been kidnapped by Voldemort. Warning it is rated M because it is obviously a disturbing part of Harry's life. You don't have to read it; if psychological torture is not your thing then I suggest you skip it. It is another piece of the puzzle so do read it if you have the spear time and can stomach the angst. It's being updated in alternating intervals with this.

Proof: Thank you

Jewl4Life: I liked the idea of awakening Hogwarts like that. Now the rest of the world just has to come back to life. Spelling and grammar is never my strength so thanks for pointing that out.


	6. Chapter 5: Through The Portraits Eyes

_**No Ones Hero**_

_**Chapter 5: Through The Portraits Eyes **_

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

* * *

Many years in the past…

The angry man dragged him all the way home. Harry's throat constricted as they walked along Privet Drive towards number 4. He was going to get it.

As they reached the front door the man paused, his hand half way to the doorbell. Turning he looked down at the small boy. He was only a child, a small child of barely five and he was going to leave him with these people. True he had done many evil things in his life, but he did not condone child abuse, even when inflicted on a Potter. He prevented it with a vengeance usually. But what could he do?

For now he knew he could not do much. Sirius Black was out there and the boy needed the safety that the blood wards provided. He would leave the boy here for now and inform Dumbledore of what he had witnessed. Dumbledore would do something about the situation. And he would not be far, Sirius Black might make another attempt to steel away his godson and if he did he wanted to be there.

* * *

Merope watched Her new companion in interest. He had to be some one of some kind of importance to be in her room. Her room had played host to some of the most important people of the magical world.

When she had first died and her portrait had appeared in Slytherin's ancestral castle she had been depressed to find her self placed in such a boring room. Dark and dreary it had neither windows nor fireplace. It was positioned in the dungeons not far from the prison cells which led her to conclude that it was nothing but a well decorated prison cell itself. Her suspicions turned out to be true.

When her son had first discovered the castle he had to be directed to her by the other ancestral portraits. It had at the time highlighted her isolation from the rest of the castle. But then he had placed Harry Potter in her room and all of the other portraits had been clamouring to speak to her about the mysterious boy. For three years he had lived in her room. A prisoner. Until he had killed her only son. Or so she had believed.

She had waited on that terrible day for his portrait to come and visit hers. For every Slytherin heir received a portrait in the ancestral castle after there death. But none had appeared. She had begun to wonder whether her son had split his soul too many times to have enough of himself to leave behind. Except several other portraits had made horcruxe's in their time and here they were in the halls of their ancestors.

At first she had believed and hoped that some where he was still alive, after all he had disappeared before and returned not seven years later more powerful than when he had left. But as the decays ebbed away and other prisoners came and went she began to lose hope. No portrait but probably dead all the same she had decided.

But then centuries later when Arden was locked away in her room she found the past and present colliding in a friendship she never thought possible. How exactly it was possible she did not know, for Arden had breached realms of magic that she could not understand. Salazar's portrait had ended up visiting Arden on numerous occasions and although she had not understood what they had spoken about they both seemed to have extensive knowledge of time magic.

For three years the friendship continued until Harry killed her son and never returned to her room again. Arden had been unable to reach him and had been distort. It was the first time she had seen the boy cry in years. She had explained to him that Harry had left the room after he had killed Voldemort but the boy become obsessed. He had contacted Salazar and they had argued for hours about the concepts of time and why for some reason he had lost contact with Harry. He could not make sense of it. Why could he not simply reach back with in that three year gap again. Days of study turned to months and then years. Until one day he simply let it go.

She thought that would be the last of it. How wrong she was. The Legend of Harry Potter had once been a famous tale, though it had become banned by the Malfoy's and she had not herd talk of it in a very long time. That was until the castle had come alive with talk of it, wizards and witches and even the Muggle slaves were abuzz with it. Some with dread others with reverence and delight. Every portrait was talking about it and because of her old friendship with the boy she had been sort out with a renewed curiosity. Thought this time she wished that they would not.

Her friendship with Harry had died the day he murdered her son. Talking about the boy was painful. She stopped visiting other portraits and accepting visitors. But then one day something grand happened. She was visited by Cecil Malfoy. When the young man had first walked into the room she had been sitting in the corner of her portrait in a foul mood, for she had just pushed several nosy portraits out of her room.

But that presence - that familiar presence, she had swung around and looked out hopefully from her portrait expecting to see her son. She had been momentarily surprised when she saw Cecil instead. Watching him she found herself filling with more and more hope. The way he was talking to himself, muttering under his breath… Somehow, somewhere her son was with the young man. She had been overjoyed when he approached her portrait. He had never paid any attention to her in the past. It was her sons influence she was sure. He wanted to talk to her about Arden. She cared about Arden a lot and was more than happy to talk about him instead of Harry with some one.

Her hope had turned to joy when for a brief moment Cecil's normally hazel eyes turned red. The boy did not seem to notice. He was to be announced very soon, but she expected it would not be long after that that Cecil would be dead. He had left promising her a new companion. Just hours later a man named Larry was locked in her room.

Watching her blond haired companion with interest she began to wonder what Cecil and her son wanted with him. The man whose name was Larry had found the book shelf, but rather than actually reading one of the books he was simply flicking the pages back and forth in front of his face intently.

Clearing her thoughts Meop decided to make herself known "hello there" she said.

The man jumped clearly startled.

He stood there for a moment staring at her. She smiled in return "welcome to my room".

Slowly approaching her his head to one side, Larry made no attempt to reply.

Instead he felt around the frame of the portrait, tried lifting it back to see behind it. Ran his hand over her paint and eventually sat himself on the ground and stared up in her in apparent interest.

"Its rude to stare" she said after a while.

He jumped up at her then and examined her again his eye just inches from her. "hello" he said finally before suddenly turning away from her and looking at that book with renewed interest. The flicking pages appeared to be something of fascination to him. Either way she could not help but feel that she had been dismissed. She decided in that instant that she liked Larry.

* * *

"Markus please" Verity said giving him that sideways glance he had not seen her do since Anneliese had died.

"No" he said more strongly than he felt. "How can you just expect me to let you go and not come"?

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes examining him sadly "the same way I'm leaving you behind" she said softly.

Markus stepped back hurt and even Verity noticed the pain in his eyes.

"Things have changed, you can't expect them to stay the same… not now," She said turning away from him to place a few last things inside her bag.

"I thought we were best friends," He said weakly.

"We were, the four of us, but there isn't four of us anymore, there are only two. Its not the same and I for one am not going to waste any more time pretending that it could ever be again like it was- those days are over, we're not children anymore"

"I never said that we were," He said angrily.

"Then grow up" Verity bit back; annoyed that the berating had still not finished, doing up her bag she placed it by the door.

"Your angry at me aren't't you" Markus said staring at her.

"Of coarse not" she said but she did not stop of turn around as she stepped through the door and quickly lost herself in the crowded corridors.

* * *

Arden watched from within the trees as the men approached the boar that stood guard over the gate "we seek to enter the grounds of Hogwarts" The leader said, soon after Order guards dressed in there blue robes arrived and after briefly speaking to the new arrivals let them through.

Deciding he might as well approach now he made his way from his hiding place and walked up to the now closing gates.

The blue clad order guards eyed him as the gate closed.

"Would you be so kind as to let me in," Arden asked.

The guards narrowed their eyes at him, there wands drawn.

"Who are you?" they asked.

"Arden Malfoy, eldest son of the emperor Cash Malfoy - Now must I wait out here much longer or are you going to remember your manners and let me in?"

With widened eyes the guards stood, in a matter of moments one of the guards rushed off to send word of Arden's arrival. While the other five gauds all aimed their wands squarely at him.

"Don't move if you value your life" one of the guards said roughly.

"And who might you be?" Arden asked his blue eyes assessing the man before him in a matter of moments.

"Richard Gudgeon at your service milord" He said mockingly.

"Richard Gudgeon" Arden rolled the name over his tongue "I'll make sure to remember you … and your name"

The group returned to silence, the guards ready wands all pointing at Arden who did not seem worried at the least.

"I hear that you have an important guest," He said in a board like manner glancing over the faces of the Order members watching for the slightest twitches or movements. He paused with brief interest on Gudgeon.

There was no verbal response but he now had plenty of information. "How is Harry? – Its been a while since I've seen him" he asked his sharp eyes sliding over the bodies of the guards in mere moments gauging there responses and importantly there attitudes towards his friend.

Despite the loss of his brother Arden was rather content. He had been initially enraged at his inability to save the man that he knew his mother would have wanted him to protect. But he had done his best, he had set the man up to become the next emperor and destroyed all his enemies for him to make sure he had a clear way to power and a life his mother would have wanted for her son.

If any thing he only felt a horrible rage at Cecil for being so stupid. At first he had suspected he was feeling grief over the loss of his brother. But despite his loyalty to him Arden had never actually liked Cecil… cared for him in some way perhaps but it was not grief for his brother he had been feeling. But grief at failing his mother, who he cared about above all others.

He had first meet Cecil by mistake. Cecil was not supposed to meet him. His father would not have his son polluted by scum like himself. Instead Cecil received the best of everything. The best tutors the best resources. He was trained in all areas of his life from the moment he woke to the moment he went to sleep again. So Arden's first reaction as he slid out of the Library he had been sneaking into in the hopes of hiding some much converted library books under his bed had been horrible jealously. Indeed he had, had quite the tantrum in his room and had immediately set forth a plan for his spoilt brothers death. That was when Merope had suggested to him that his mother would not want his brother dead. And so instead he had begun the struggle to keep the idiot alive.

Now however he was moving on. His brother had not headed his warnings. Indeed his brother was trying to capture and imprison him again much like their father had once done. It was one sure way of enraging him. But he would not strike against Cecil. He had not wish or need to. Cecil though no less stupid than those around him, was still strangely innocent and ignorant of the mechanics of the world. Granted many considered Cecil dangerous and with good reason but Cecil was a follower and not a leader. He did what he was told, showed loyalty to those who protected him and loved those who appeared to show love to him, in this way he was strikingly simple, easily manipulated and innocent. In some ways Cecil even reminded Arden a little bit of himself, well his childhood self anyways.

He pushed his thoughts on, for he suddenly felt something horrible and painful in the pit of his stomach. It clutched at his chest and turned him into a ball of anger. How could Cecil be such an idiot?

Even now though Arden could see a large group approaching the order guards and his thoughts returned to his friend. Harry and he had spent three years together. They and been all the other had. A kind voice in a terrible place. A friend to comfort when the torture had stopped. They had been close because the situation had created the correct pressures for it. Arden knew this. But that did not reduce the level of affection he felt for his friend in the slightest. If anything it increased it. For it was in similar circumstances they had been created and in similar circumstances they had become friends.

They were alike the two of them.

And Harry had been the first and only one to ever treat him as a true equal and not just that, Harry had looked up to Arden. He had relied on Arden and Arden had been able to rely on him. And then Harry had left him with out even saying good buy. But no matter; now he would have his friend back. It would be just like it was before. For once again Harry was alone in a dark place. Every one who he cared about was dead and everything he knew had been changed. Arden could not have planed it more perfectly. Harry had lost everything and now he was the only person in this world that Harry would know. The pressures would push them together again and there friendship would pick up where it left of.

* * *

Harry stepped out of the portrait hole to find Cullen waiting for him.

"How are you coping?" The man asked with what Harry perceived as selfish concern.

"How do you think?" Harry asked, "I've lost everything"

"All things considered your doing better than I thought" Cullen replied.

"I'm going to help" Harry said suddenly as they turned back down the hall.

Cullen smiled a genuine smile "You don't know what this will mean for the Order"

"I can guess" Harry said

They walked in silence for a while "where are all the Muggles?"

"They live in workcamps or in service to wealthy families or businesses"

"I'm not talking about them," Harry said

"I'm afraid I don't quite know what you're asking"

"There are probably many things you don't know. One of which is that I was raised in the Muggle world for the first eight years of my life. Then for a few years after I left, with the help of my guardian I kept in close contact with that world."

"Why did you stop?"

"It became too dangerous" Harry replied, "Voldemort had returned and I was venerable to his attacks in the Muggle world, me and any one around"

Cullen remained silent to hear where this was going.

"I had an interesting conversation with nearly headless Nick. You won't know him, he has spent my absence in the Gryffindor tower which has been in lock down"

Cullen looked confused "Is he a ghost?"

Harry paid no head to the interruption "The Muggles knew what was happening and they put up a fight. Like usual wizards underestimated them. And now I suspect, that they have done it again"

He stopped and looked at Cullen "what would you do if your entire world was at risk of complete destruction, every culture, every language, every person"

"I would do what we have been doing for centuries and fight"

"And that is what I believe the Muggles will be doing" Harry said

"Are you talking of workcamp 34?"

"Matt's camp? No"

"Then…"

"I know Muggles, I know things about them that seem to have been forgotten, and that will work to our advantage"

"Like?"

"Muggles are very, clever. When I lived they could accomplish much of what we wizards do with our wands with technology"

"If they could do this then why did the Malfoy's triumph, Muggles outnumbered wizards back then did they not?"

Harry took his time in answering, he searched Cullen's face hoping again to find a glimpse of Dumbledore. His search came back empty and he turned away to answer. "It is hard to defend against magic when you can not use it – but that is not to say they did not put up a fight" he stopped by a window. The sky was dark outside but there was not a single star to be seen.

"The technology Muggles created for warfare for instance, some of it was so powerful they could destroy whole city's with the single push of a button"

Cullen looked shocked and horrified "how?"

"Bombs" Harry said "hydrogen bombs" looking into the darkness "the excessive use of nuclear warfare the Muggle's were forced to use when attacked by wizards world wide filled the atmosphere with poison. It was killing every one, Muggles, Wizards; every one would have died in the end. Streams, lakes, thousands of kilometres of land polluted. The International magical community were forced to come together behind a common leader; the Malfoy's, in order to save the world"

Harry took a deep breath and continued walking "nuclear warfare is always a last resort, perhaps even a plan of action to give them time"

"Time for what?"

"To save as many people as they could"

"I'm afraid you've lost me"

"I do not think the 'Order of the Phoenix' is the only rebellion being staged. I bet you that there is a very organised Muggle rebellion happening out there and no one knows a thing about it"

"After all these years?"

"Why destroy a planet unless you believe you will be alive a thousand years latter to reclaim it" Harry said "they are out there somewhere"

"Matt and Spiro are returning to workcamp 34 to help grow a Muggle resistance"

Harry nodded "that is the best way to get their attention. Mark my words, you start a Muggle rebellion and you will start to find a network of hidden Muggle's with technology that could cause this unprepared empire a lot of problems"

"I will speak with Spiro and Matt about it"

Harry nodded in approval.

"You should know Cullen, as you are related however distantly to some one who holds a lot of my respect I will give you the benefit of the doubt. But be warned, I'm not some nice little hero, I won't be told what to do, I won't be controlled or manipulated. Give me any reason and I walk away from this war. You betray me, you piss me of and this empire will not be the Orders only problem."

Cullen looked at him sharply " is that a threat Harry"

"Yes"

They arrived back at Cullen's rooms where Matt, Markus and Spiro sat at the table eating and have a discussion which halted abruptly with the new comers.

Spiro stood when Cullen approached "we have news" he said seriously "Arden Malfoy is in the castle - Andor has gone to investigate further"…

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry tried to scream but the hand that clamped down his mouth would only let a mumble get out.

He was being carried away into the night. The man stunk and smelt of off cabbages and ran so fast that Harry was thrown around in his arms.

Then there was yelling and flashes of light and his world was spinning and he was left in darkness.

Then a quite voice whispered to him "It's ok Harry, I'm not going to let any one hurt you ever again… you here me?"

* * *

Snape screamed in frustration, Sirius Black had escaped him once again. Not only that but he had managed to kidnap the Potter boy. The world's saviour now lay in the hands of a murderous maniac.

Apparating back to Hogwarts he ran to the headmaster's office.

And thus the famous search for Harry Potter began…

* * *

Sorry for the long wait. So much has been happening updating just became unimportant. But here we go and hopefully things will remain quiet enough for several more updates in my other stories as well.


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